Gildy's Enchantments
by Lariaxa
Summary: Being a teenage Wicked Witch is great! Gildy loves coming up with humorous curses-but wizards are plotting again, and her curses are getting in the way! In the company of a frequently cursed knight, a dragon, and a captive wizard the fun has just begun.
1. Ch1 In Which We Witness Her Spells

Chapter.1

In Which We Witness Gildy's Spells

Feathers whirled from the frantic movement of a chicken as it squawked indignantly. Gildy smirked with satisfaction and pulled a foot away from its pecking beak.

"You'll be sorry for this!" It screeched, "You will!"

Suddenly the chicken tilted its head, and stared at the young Witch with one surprised eye. "I can still talk! Ha! I shall bring my Kingdom's entire army down upon you, you foolish child Witch!" The chicken darted past Gildy, running for its life with head low and wings half open. Gildy took a step to the side and turned to watch it better.

"Foolish eh? The spell just hasn't taken your voice yet, you poult!"

The chicken slowed and looked doubtfully over a brown-feathered shoulder, only to collide with a nearby bush in another flurry of feathers. Pulling itself together, it turned and attempted a baleful glare. "Ha! A trick! A 'delayed' part of the spell-indeed! Your foul lies do not fool me, little Witch! You are just trying to slow me down." The chicken bobbed its head to itself, then pecked hard at a twig on the ground. "Why, I ought to...to..."

"To what, henny?" Gildy asked sweetly.

"To peck your toes off!"

"My, my. Well they will not be missing you much in your kingdom; you were not much of a Prince. They might even be grateful to me back home, no doubt you'll be more useful as a chicken." She casually strolled over to the indignant hen. "That is, only if you make it home unplucked. After all, who would think a Prince had been turned into a hen? Perhaps you'll become better acquainted with how your more common subjects face hunger day to day. Now listen, about the removal of your curse, I'd prefer to tell you before the spell takes your voice away."

The hen Prince scratched at the dirt nervously and muttered. "This is not right, this is not a traditional curse." The chicken took a few steps forward with wings half open and beak lowered threateningly. _Supposedly_ threateningly.

"Change me into something more suitable at once! I am at least worthy of a true quest, or a _frog_, and a male form! This is just-not done!" The hen puffed his chest feathers and lifted his little beaked chin. "If you do so immediately, with an apology, I shall perhaps endeavor to intervene with Father's expected ire. I may in fact suggest mercy—to an extent." Chest feathers still puffed arrogantly, he turned his head and tilted it to look up at her with one eye expectantly. Gildy blinked at the moment of silence and looked back at the Prince.

"So, to be freed from your curse, a maiden must keep all your eggs, unharmed. All the eggs you lay until a month has passed since the first egg. She must keep them unhatched and at her bedside."

"Absurd! Bgat!"

Gildy eyed the chicken.

"That is impossible, if I can't speak! The eggs would be eaten or start to rot, if not hatch! Truly, you are too much." The hen clucked irritably at her, then fluttered his wings in dismay.

"Fine then."

Gildy thought for a moment. Really, being turned into a hen was rather fitting for this Prince; she had chosen him for this spell after witnessing his cowardice and arrogance.

Although when his pride was insulted, he showed something that could be mistaken as intelligence and bravery. It would seem insults do him good…Gildy knew better, it was stupidity. Most Princes were grateful these days when they were cursed. The poor cursed Prince who prevailed through his curse and returned victorious to his kingdom with a Princess in tow was the only admired type these days. What Princess doesn't know to watch for talking frogs to kiss now? Hers was the first chicken curse to be used on royalty, that she knew of. She grinned at the hen. Still, it was only fair to allow for a clue to his potential rescuer.

She wondered how many Princes would try to rescue him.

When she had completed her spell, she walked away from a loudly squawking hen wearing a tiny crown. Pleased with herself, she smirked over her shoulder.

"Oh, go lay an egg, Fowl Prince!"

The Princes and Princesses had it far too easy these days; all the curses and their solutions were so predictable. It really was no wonder they were all so lacking in the intelligence department. She had gotten bored of the traditional curses and spells fast. It was time for someone to put a bit more imagination and challenge into the curses and spells on the royalty, for their own good.

Of course it wasn't merely for, well, Gildy's own personal entertainment. She could not wait till she could really pull off more complicated, detailed spells, but she would get there.

Frowning, Gildy came to a halt. Where was her kitten? He was always wandering off…She sighed and began the search while considering more possible curses for the Princes and Princesses. The common folk aren't so bad, it is the royal youths who need new curses. Gildy stubbed her toe on a root, and scowled at it. Branches above her rustled and she looked up cautiously, a ready spell on her lips. Wide green eyes stared down at her.

"Creeper!" She eyed her kitten, spread eagled on the trunk with claws piercing the bark. Gildy looked around her. Good, no-one seemed to be around. Hands on her hips she stared up at the kit.

"You got stuck up a tree again? Come on now, you're a Witch's cat you know, that's really embarrassing." Creeper blinked wide eyes at her, ears facing outward, and yowled pitifully. "All right, all right." She chanted her charm and the kitten warily relinquished it's grip, allowing itself to float down.

"I ought to try and find a spell that will prevent this sort of thing. You were supposed to be looking for new victims, Creeps." The kitten's purr rattled its little fluffy black body as it was pulled from the air into a hug.

Stroking her familiar's fur, Gildy headed back for the cottage she'd inherited in the forest. Luckily the past few generations of scattered Witches in her family had kept up on the spell that allowed it to be found by its inhabitants easily—no matter where the Enchanted Forest put it. When the cottage was in sight, she paused and shifted restlessly. It was still light out. Creeper meowed questioningly.

"I think we could at least do one more curse or spell today, don't you?"

"Mrrowr."

Gildy looked at the black kitten. "What? Oh. Well I think I figured out how to do that, but I mean, really, would you control yourself if I did? You'd have to protect it and all. Not that I'm agreeing to do it."

"Mow, meeowr mrow-re."

"I don't know, Creeps…that one might bring Morwen over with a scolding, if the mouse was smart enough to look for her. Besides, if I turned someone annoying into a mouse for you, it would only be fair to let him or her keep their voice so they have a chance at rescue. Would you want to listen to the griping all the time?"

"Mraw. Rowmmrih."

"Oh, you think that would be part of the fun." Gildy looked at her smug kitten in amusement. "I suppose it would, for you, at first. It would get old though."

Gildy turned away from the cottage as they continued discussing mice, breathing in the scents of her garden as they faded behind. She laughed at the ideas the kitten eagerly shared on how to torture a mouse Princess, demonstrating with a ball of moss she'd made for him. In an acceptable way, of course.

Still, the idea made her just a little nervous. It would have to be someone really deserving. She knew other cats fantasized about their Witches choosing a mouse form for their curses, but she could not remember if someone had done it. A Prince or Princess with doting parents becoming something as hunted and helpless as a mouse could have some pretty bad consequences for a teenage Witch.

The forest quietly closed behind them and shifted ahead subtly. A knight came charging out of the path ahead.

"Defend thyself, foul Witch! Remove this curse from the fair Princess, or I shall—shall—cut you!"

The young knight brandished his sword and Gildy looked up in surprise and interest. Creeper looked at the knight from his position on Gildy's shoulder, then disinterestedly began to wash his nether regions. Gildy sighed in disappointment.

This one had an actual sword, and the armor was almost put together right…but he was brandishing a sheathed sword.

"Which fair Princess are you talking about?" She asked. He was probably another one who just ran off and challenged the first Witch he saw. She didn't seen any sign of an enchanted Princess though.

"Which one! Which one, she says!"

"All right, which one?"

The knight's nostrils flared and he frowned at her. "The two-faced Princess with two left feet."

"Ah, yes." Her first real curse, although she'd only been performing curses and spells on people for a couple years now. Had that princess still made no progress? She shrugged a shoulder.

"I'm not sure she's ready to be rescued yet."

"I beg your pardon?" The knight asked indignantly, slightly lowering his sheathed sword in astonishment. She couldn't resist.

"Why don't you ah, put away your sword and I shall explain." He looked at her suspiciously for a minute. She shrugged her unoccupied shoulder at him. Suit yourself.

Warily, he lowered the sheathed sword, and Creeper paused in his bathing for a moment to watch with interest. Still watching her with a suspicious gaze, the knight was trying to sheathe his sheathed sword in thin air at his hip. She watched the sword approach his hip in search for the sheath three times before the knight realized something was wrong and looked down. His face turned red. Feeling a little bad for the knight, Gildy casually gazed off to the side.

"If you knew the Princess at all before she was cursed, you would realize she'd been cursed for a reason. Not—" She said quickly, as the knight's mouth opened, "just because I am wicked. I don't think she has learned her lesson yet, not from what I heard her saying just yesterday when I checked on her."

"Who are you, little Witch, to judge the Royalty! You've a sharp tongue of your own."

"I'm a Wicked Witch! Doing things like this is my job!" She scowled at the knight, annoyed. She was being advised by a guy who tried to fight with a sheathed sword! Just who was the smarter one here?

"Nevertheless, that is hardly much of an explanation. Perhaps Morwen ought to teach you how to be a proper Witch."

Gildy shoved her oversized Witch's hat back from her forehead a bit and snorted quietly to herself. Morwen, a proper Witch? Although powerful, Morwen was the type strangers had to think about before deciding she was a Witch. Besides, Morwen was not pursuing a career as a _wicked_ Witch. She stamped her foot, glaring at the knight.

"I could tell you why, and you would agree!"

"Then why don't you?"

Gildy shifted her feet and felt Creeper's nose brush her cheek. She blushed and looked off to the side defensively. "None of your business."

The knight stared at her a moment, then shaking his head, opened a pouch at his waist and withdrew a cord, which he used to tie his sheath to his belt. She could see its belt loop had broken, causing the sheath to come with the sword.

"What is your name, little Witch?"

She glanced at Creeper. Maybe this guy wasn't the dumb sort of knight she'd really thought. He seemed more like how a knight should be. Although a bit absent minded. The Princess he was attempting to save really wasn't good enough for a real knight.

"Gildelaine. Gildy. The…The…Wicked Witch of the Wailing Shadows." She added on impulse.


	2. Ch2 In Which We Find Why Gildy Lacks Fri

Chapter 2.

In Which We Find Why Gildy Lacks Friends

Maybe this guy wasn't the dumb sort of knight she'd really thought. She watched as he removed his helm.

"Rather sure of yourself, aren't you?" She asked with a frown.

"I beg your pardon, but such a thing is unbearable for a conversation." He pushed hair out of his eyes and glanced at her. "For the time being, an attack appears to be a wasteful idea. One of the trials of being a knight, I've always thought, wearing that stifling helm." He bowed slightly from the waist then set his helm on the ground in front and a little to the side. "Sir Roland of...well everywhere, really."

"I have to say I can't decide whether I should be insulted." She folded her arms over her chest as the knight looked at her in surprise.

"First, you put away your sword." the Witch said testily, "Well, fine, so it wasn't all that dangerous sheathed, but still."

The knight's face flushed.

"Then you go and remove some of your armor, and _then_ you told me part of your name!"

Her voice had risen slightly as her annoyance increased while she considered each offense. Finally she glared at the knight. "I am a Wicked Witch! I'm not a child! I can be dangerous if I want to! Just because I pick nice, but unusual curses, doesn't make me a push over!"

Creeper leapt to the ground, deeming it safer, and looked from the knight to Gildy hopefully. The 'Wicked Witch of the Wailing Shadows' stood there, fuming at the man in mismatched armor. The knight had a rather odd expression on his face, but it wasn't anything like wariness or fear. Wanting to prove herself powerful, Gildy silently considered and discarded several possible curses for him. Creeper licked his lips, looking at the knight.

"Mawwrs?" He suggested eagerly. Gildy looked down at her kitten thoughtfully, and then eyed the knight.

"Well, oddly enough I meant no offense," Roland said quickly, feeling this was a good moment to speak up, "ah, Wicked though you are, I'm su-very Wicked."

Seeing the young Witch's scowl starting to return, he winced slightly, "After all, if you were not wicked I should have had no cause to seek and attack you! I do not intend to leave the poor fair—poor Princess to her own devices! I've been managing to not quite rescue Princesses for years now you know. I just ah, want to take full measure of my enemy first, you see. I should hardly wish to similarly fail again, against you for having underestimated you."

Suddenly a harsh rustling noise occurred off the side, immediately followed by someone tangled in robes and legs. Gildy and Sir Roland stared as the pile tumbled to a halt between them and sorted itself out into a red faced Wizard. His staff bounced and rolled to a stop right in front of Gildy. The knight drew his sword. Creeper hissed excitedly, looking like a black squirrel. There was another crashing sound through the bushes.

All four in the small clearing turned toward the sound. The Wizard's face went pale and he scrambled to his feet, groping behind himself for his staff as a baby dragon burst into the clearing, eyeing the Wizard eagerly. He backed away and his eyes fell on the staff at Gildy's feet. He looked to his other side to see Roland, ready with his sword. The Wizard froze and considered the baby dragon. Really it was a bit large of a creature to refer to as a baby, regardless of age.

To dragon standards though, this one was actually close to time to choose its gender. Or, Gildy thought, it was an exceptionally large baby. A piece of cloth matching the Wizard's robe dangled from one of its lower teeth, hanging slightly off to the side like an exhausted extra tongue. The moss green dragon took another step toward the knight, seeing his staff out of reach.

"Look!" The harried Wizard said desperately, "A nice crunchy knight! Don't those taste better? I've always heard that!" He stabbed a scratched finger in Roland's direction.

"Achoo!" The baby dragon cocked its head at the Wizard, tongue darting out to lick its chops. The bit of cloth dangled wetly between upper and lower teeth for a moment before falling back over the dragon's lower jaw. The dragon looked at the knight, eyeing the armor. Crunchy wasn't always a good thing.

The Wizard edged slightly toward Gildy, who scowled fiercely at him. Pointing at the Wizard, whose eyes were on the dragon as he edged toward her and her staff, she quickly chanted her curse. Hearing the chanting, the Wizard looked in surprise and blanched at the oversized Witch's hat on her head.

He ducked just before Gildy finished her spell and it flew past him, striking Sir Roland. The dragon sneezed and rubbed its nose delicately with one talon. The Wizard, Gildy, and the baby dragon stared at the bristling hedgehog in surprise as it fell down to all fours. Creeper mewed in disappointment. The dragon quickly lost interest in prickly Sir Roland the hedgehog, and pounced on the Wizard. The Wizard in turn leapt desperately toward his staff at Gildy's feet

Roland the hedgehog, bristling, noted the dragon's lack of interest in him and scurried over to stand at Gildy's feet between the Wizard and the staff. The baby dragon took its time ambling over while Gildy resumed chanting. The Wizard stared in fury at the hedgehog as he realized the young Witch was again chanting. He lunged for his staff and pulled his hand back with a cry. Creeper moved to sit next to the hedgehog smugly, fluffy tail curled neatly around his paws. He lifted one, paw, unsheathed and pointedly washed it, slyly watching the Wizard.

"You pack of fools! You're going to regret this day, I have important business here, and when the head Wizard find's out who delayed me, you'll all be—be"

"Achoo! Important Business in the Enchanted Forest?" The baby dragon asked with interest, from just behind him. The Wizard jumped in terror. At that moment, Gildy completed her curse, this time successfully applying it to the Wizard. The dragon snickered. The hedgehog stared at the Wizard, then tapped Gildy's foot with a claw. She was too amused by the result of her latest improvised curse.

"So," The dragon asked, peering at the Wizard from different angles. "What is it? All legs? The strangest thing I've seen, although well done, I'm sure." Creeper watched the strip of cloth in fascination as the dragon's breath and the movement of its jaws set the thing through a sort of taunting slimy dance. Noticing the direction of her kitten's attention, Gildy briefly wondered how you tell a dragon politely that it has something stuck in its teeth, and whether it would ask for help or a toothpick.

Gildy bowed slightly to the baby dragon. "Thank you, I am Gildelaine the Wicked Witch. Gildy to frie—Gildy."

"I'm blind! I cannot see! Foul Witch, what have you done to me?"

The dragon prodded the legs tangled in robes, which were beginning to stir, hampered by stained long underwear and robes. "Oh, so it still has a he—he-Achoo! Head, it isn't all legs after all. I suppose he still has a stomach then too, that's good. Ah-Ah-Achoo! Do you suppose it will still taste good?"

Gildy looked at the dragon thoughtfully. Picking up a stick she used it to roll the staff further from the Wizard, wincing at the moss, as it turned brown from the staff's touch. Roland the hedgehog tapped her foot again. "I don't rightly know, Dragon. I suppose you could take a bite and see, he's still human of a sort, more cursed than changed."

"Oh, good idea—"

"No!" The Wizard's muffled voice yelled in terror.

"Oh, right. Err, Dragon, I don't suppose you could wait? One of the reasons I kept him mostly human and able to speak was so he could tell the King more about his Important Business, which comes from the Head Wizard himself, no less."

Having finally untangled himself from his robes, the Wizard continued to struggle to stand, obviously it wasn't working properly. After a few moments of silence other than the Wizard's struggles and sounds of frustration, and during which Roland the hedgehog tapped Gildy's foot three more times, and they watched the cursed Wizard with interest; the dragon spoke up again,

"So ah, you cursed him so he would be unable to stand?"

"Not exactly."

Creeper looked at the dragon slyly. "Mrworrr mre mwrah mrwonn." Gildy grinned a little tiredly down at her kitten.

"Yes that's true too."

"Oh, he can't run." The dragon politely tried to hide his disappointment in the prospect of a potential dinner which he couldn't enjoy chasing.

"No, that's not all. You see, the only way he can go anywhere is to walk on his hands with his legs balanced in the air."

"WHAT? How dare you put a powerful Wizard like myself through such indignity!" The group stared at the Wizard.

"Of course," Gildy shoved her oversized hat back slightly, then smoothed her skirts self-consciously, "needing to rely on his hands to, well, stand…he cannot hold his staff at the same time either, even if he did manage to retrieve it."

"Oh I see. Couldn't he just sit or lie down?" The Wizard listened intently, his face pale.

"He could lie down, but his co-ordination wouldn't work right. The only way he could sit would be a sort of upside-down thing."

"Interesting." The Wizard's face had turned purple but he had stopped his struggles to stand. The hedgehog tapped Gildy's foot again, harder. Creeper looked at the hedgehog in disgust.

"Mrrry Mwrraw a mrwouss?"

Gildy looked down at Creeper. "The Wizard? Why, because he would be harder to keep track of, needs to talk…" Creeper looked at her with his ears laid back and tWitched his tail toward the hedgehog as poor Roland resignedly lifted a claw to tap on her foot again. "Oh. The hedgehog? Oh! Sir Roland! I didn't mean to curse him yet."

"What's to-do!" Gildy and Creeper turned to see a golden lizard peering down from a branch with interest. Gildy smiled wearily.


	3. Ch3 In Which There Is A Quest To Avoid

Ch. 3 In Which There Is A Quest To Avoid

"Oh, hello Suz. How are you?"

"Well, quite well, but what's all the to-do?" He turned in a circle and studied the group. "A Wizard! Is that a Wizard?" He ran a spiral around the trunk of his tree to perch agilely on a lower branch and look closer at the Wizard. "It is! It is a Wizard, in the forest again! The King! The King and Queen will want to know." He did a few flips excitedly and sat up on his curled tail, looking at Gildy.

"Yes, and they will know soon, but for the moment, I need to do a counter-spell on this hedgehog, to turn him back to a knight."

"To turn him back, into a knight? You do?" He scurried along the branch till he was a mere foot from Gildy's face, and sat up on his curled tail.

"You do! You really do!" He dropped to all fours and turned in a circle, then looked up at her. "Are you sure that's wise? You have the strength right now? Be careful! Take care! Tell the King, and Queen Cimorene! Daystar!" With that, after looking at the kitten who had started creeping toward the tree, he said, "What could that Wizard be doing such a thing for?"

They blinked and looked down at the Wizard. He had succeeded in standing at last, on his hands. His long, stained robes pooled around his torso and head. The Wizard's bony, hairy ankles protruded from bunched up long underwear. The inverted Wizard swayed slightly.

The spluttering was muffled in the bunched up robes. Gildy smothered a laugh. The hedgehog paused, claw raised to tap her foot again, and stared at the Wizard.

"Say, that's rather good." The dragon reached out a talon, and nudged the scrawny legs to test the Wizard's balance.

"Ahhh!" The legs swayed alarmingly for a moment, then resumed balance for a moment before the Wizard fell to the ground. He shoved his robes away from his purpled, sweating face, panting. The hedgehog blinked at the Wizard and looked down at its prickly body thoughtfully.

Creeper's whiskers twitched in amusement. The kitten glanced back up at the tree. His ears flattened for an instant. Suz had disappeared.

"Well, the spell helps him with his balance a bit, of course." Gildy said with a little smile, "I didn't think he should be so lucky as to be carried to the King."

Warily, the Sir Roland the hedgehog tapped her foot again. Finally she looked down at the unhappy, wary little hedgehog knight. She chewed on her lip. Did she have enough energy? She'd only planned on doing one more spell really, not two. She looked at the others and sighed, making a decision.

"All right Sir Roland, I'll do your counter spell, I think it should be a simple enough one for the energy I have left right now."

Sir Roland hissed and hurriedly backed away, violently shaking his head. It hid behind the panting Wizard.

"What? I thought you want to go back to your own form." Poking his head up into view it nodded, then shook its head, pointing first at her with a claw, then the exhausted Wizard. "Oh. You don't think I'm strong enough." She scowled, feeling everyone's eyes on her, including the smirking Wizard. The hedgehog backed away a step. Gildy shoved her hat back from her forehead again. "So we're back to that again are we! Well I am strong enough, and I'll show you right now!"

Before she could start chanting, Roland shook his little head violently and, after looking around desperately, ran closer to the dragon and pointed frantically at the dragon's mouth, while shaking his head so hard he staggered dizzily for an instant. Gildy glanced at the dragon before smiling in amusement at the hedgehog.

"Oh. Right. Err, Dragon, I don't suppose you would be willing to ah, not eat our friend Roland here if I turn him back into a knight?" The hedgehog blinked and looked at Gildy in consternation.

"Oh." The dragon's disappointment was clear. It sighed as it looked from the hedgehog, to the Wizard, then back again. "I did so want a taste, but if the knight is your friend…"

"Well, he's not exactly a friend, but—" Seeing the Dragon's delight at her words she raised her hands in protest, "No, he's a friend, he's a friend! So, ah, would you please not eat him?"

"Oh," The Dragon, picked at some of the dead moss at its feet sadly. "Of course. I won't eat him. Unless he does something really bad? Or makes you angry?" He looked up eagerly as the thought occurred to him. The hedgehog backed away from the Dragon a bit and looked suspiciously at the young Witch. She nodded in agreement. "Done!"

The hedgehog ran up to Gildy and clutched at her skirts as she took a deep breath to chant. She sighed in exasperation and looked down at the hedgehog knight, annoyed. "Now what?" The hedgehog shook his head slowly at her, pointing a claw again toward the Wizard. Seeing the thunderous scowl beginning, he tugged at her skirt and tapped a paw at his throat and mouth alternately, then pointed at her, tapped at his throat, did the same pointing to each of the others, although he passed over Creeper. Finally he tapped his own again and made a sort of squeak hopefully.

"You just want to be able to speak?" The hedgehog nodded profusely in relief. "You want to be a hedgehog?" She asked him in disbelief. Sir Roland jumped and darted a look at the Wizard, then shrugged at Gildy and tapped his throat and mouth again. "Well, all right." Realizing the Wizard had been awfully docile and quiet through all this, she looked down at him suspiciously.

The Wizard froze and blanched. A branch was outstretched in his hand toward his staff.

"Don't worry," The dragon said, "Your cat and I were keeping an eye on him. He couldn't reach it, and is really quite bad at things that need co-ordination right now. We'll watch him." The Wizard dropped the stick sourly and groped quickly at his waist. "Ah," the Dragon said, "I wondered when you'd think to look for this." He held up the Wizard's pouch with a talon and sniffed it. "Smells funny you know, but not as bad as your staff."

Gildy nodded to herself and turned back to the hedgehog. After directing him to stand a little away from the others, because she was really tired, and, well…She chanted her brief spell. Then she chanted a few more words.

"Squeak. I mean, Thank you." The hedgehog said in relief, cupping his paws around his throat. The others gave the little hedegehog with the baritone voice an odd look. Gildy sagged to the ground. The Wizard watched her with a smirk.

Gildy smiled sweetly at the Wizard as the hedgehog and Creeper rushed over to her. She groped on the ground for a moment, then held up what looked like a very long branch, except it was behaving as a rope, in one hand. After showing that, she dropped it in her lap, then held up a length of wide pink silk ribbon, waving it tauntingly in front of the bewildered Wizard.

"Guess what this is for, Wizard? Isn't it pretty?" The Wizard looked at her as though she were mad.

"What is it for?" The dragon asked curiously.

"Well, this one, is to tie the Wizard's robes around his ankles, so he can see where he's going and, well, breathe." She held up the ribbon and grinned.

"You will put no such thing on me, Witch! You will not! The other Wizards will be here for me any minute, and you'll see what it means to demean a Wizard!" He scoffed.

"And this one," She said, holding up the branch like rope as the Wizard spluttered angrily over being ignored, "Is for a leash, so you can walk him to the king. Or," She looked at the Wizard thoughtfully. His face had turned red again. "If you want to fly, you could always dangle him."

Creeper purred in approval and mimed swatting at a dangling Wizard toy. He slanted a look at the Wizard to make sure the Wizard had understood Creeper's commentary. The Wizard's eyes were bulging as he choked on his anger.

"Well. I, for one, intend to go home and relax for the rest of my day, so if you'll just pick him up carefully by the shoulders, Dragon, I suppose I'm the only one who can tie him up properly so you can all be on your way."

The Dragon ignored the struggles and protests as he obliged and looked at Gildy. "But, aren't you coming with us?" Sir Roland watched Gildy with dark little eyes. Creeper watched the struggling Wizard avidly. Gildy, for her part, draped the branch rope over one shoulder as she slowly stood, and readied the pink silk ribbon in the other. She shook her head as she tied the pink ribbon around the Wizards robes and ankles, in an upside down bow, arranging it carefully for full affect.

"Be quiet," She snapped at him, "You should be grateful I'm making your more comfortable on your way to the King."

"I am not going to the King! I told you, the others will be here any minute!" Gildy nodded and smiled sweetly and stood back to admire her work.

"Someone is having trouble with denial." Said the hedgehog.

"Good, now if you could just dangle him head down we can see how well that will work." The dragon, grinning with far too many teeth, tossed the Wizard up in the air. He gasped as he flipped end over end, then was caught smoothly by the dragon. The dragon held the Wizard's feet delicately in his talons. Gildy grinned. The ribbon, while still holding the robes to his ankles firmly, had made a slight adherence to gravity, and caused the robes to balloon slightly at the inverted Wizard's hips. The embroidered hem of the Wizard's robes flared outward from the cheerful pink bow around his bared ankles.

"You know," Said Sir Roland thoughtfully, his little hedgehog neck craning to get a proper view of the Wizard, "He looks like some sort of poisonous flower."

"He does?" They turned to see Suz had returned. The golden lizard made his way to the closest tree to the Wizard, while Creeper watched avidly, kneeding the moss under his paws. Suz peered at the inverted Wizard. "Why he does! Like a poisonous flower! Oh my!"

Gildy looked expectantly at the Wizard, but he was just red faced and dangling, looking up at the sky. His face was turning purple. She supposed he'd have to learn to get used to that for a while.

Suz flipped and balanced on his curled tail, looking at the dragon. "You're all still here! You should get moving! It's getting dark soon you know, you know what kind of things happen around here at night! You have a quest!"

The young dragon brightened, and lowered the Wizard for Gildy to tie on his leash. "A Quest! Yes I do! They'll all be so proud of me at the caves. I can probably find a Princess on the way, too!" It looked excitedly toward Suz, but again, the lizard had disappeared.

Gildy finished tying the branch rope from the Wizard's ankles to the dragon's foreclaw. She nodded encouragingly at the dragon then made certain the rope was tied comfortably for both the Wizard and dragon. The Witch dusted her hands off and shoved her oversized hat back from her forehead. "There. Now, get going all of you. Leave me be. Come on, Creeper."

"Wait, you're really not coming?" The dragon asked her, looking at the Wizard doubtfully.

"Oh course not, a big strong dragon like you can certainly handle a cursed Wizard tied up in a nice big bow. Besides, your quest will be more impressive without the company of a Wicked Witch."

"But he said more Wizards are coming."

"I should think if there was any truth to that they would have been here a long time ago, don't you think so? Now there's no sense in delaying the information the King is likely waiting for now that Suz seems to have told him."

"Oh! Which King am I taking him to?"

"Ah…well, take him to our King first, King Kazul might be there visiting the Queen anyway."

"Right, let us be off, Sir Hedgehog!" The dragon said cheerfully.

"I'm sorry, Dragon friend, but I'm not going with you." The tiny hedgehog shifted his feet.

"But it's a Quest!"

"Yes…but it is your quest. I've already got the quest of rescuing the two-faced Princess with two left feet. Not to mention having to worry about trying to get my own curse removed when the Witch is up to it. Perhaps I shall catch up to you if I complete my quests in time."

"Oh. Well, all right then. Goodbye! Good luck!" After looking at the Wizard a moment and discussing what to do with the Wizard's staff, the dragon decided to fly, and took off with the groaning of trees and flying debris in his wake.

Gildy removed her cloak and picked up the staff warily, then headed back tiredly for her little cottage. Now that no-one but the hedgehog was there to see, her shoulders and features slumped visibly. She staggered slightly, Creeper balancing carefully on her shoulder, purring worriedly.

Nice empty cottage, just to themselves. Gildy smiled. She glanced at Creeper, remembering they hadn't had dinner. It would have to be a cold dinner of leftovers tonight. Peace and quiet. Sleep. Images of home circled encouragingly through her mind with each exhausted step.

After a moment Gildy stopped and looked down to her left.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Sir Roland craned his neck to look up at her without pausing. "I'm staying with you."


	4. Ch4 In Which our Witch Has a Pest

4. In which our Witch has a pest.

Gildy glared down at the little hedgehog. "Oh no you don't! I want to be alone, that means no other people around! I'm not about to have some strange knight on a quest which involves defeating me somehow at my home, when I'm trying to rest!"

Sir Roland glanced up at her, she could feel him staring at her exhausted posture and expression. Furious, she straightened up and took a step toward him threateningly. As he looked at her boot dubiously, she realized it was almost bigger than him. Gildy shifted her foot to cast him in its shadow. A vunerable knight! What a great idea she'd had there!

Nevermind the fact it was a bit of an accident that had cursed him instead of the Wizard, everyone seemed to have forgotten about that. Except Sir Roland. If she was really feeling nasty, look how easily she could be done with him! She gave the little hedgehog a wicked smirk. Sir Roland stood on his hind legs, his little head rising out of her shadow to glare at her.

"You wouldn't!"

"Wanna bet, I'm a Wicked Witch!"

"No, you're not." He settled his little prickly body into what she suspected was supposed to be a sprawling crouch and gazed around. Despite her mood, she couldn't help noting to herself that a tiny hedgehog body just doesn't pull off a sprawl very well.

"How dare you! I am! You've seen my curses! You horrible little knight! I should have changed you back into a knight anyway and let the dragon eat you!"

"Dragon…why do the young dragons all have to start wandering around in this forest to get noticed, they should stick closer to the caves. Threatening to eat people at such a young age…" The hedgehog shook its head sadly. Gildy stared. He moved into a more natural crouch, avoiding her eyes.

"What is with you? Why are you following me? Why don't you go away? I cou—will do something awful to you if you stay! Do you want to spend the rest of your life as a…a…chamberpot?"

"A WHAT?"

Gildy smirked at his reaction. Finally, he would go away. She'd have to remember that idea, it might come in handy again. She resumed her walk toward home. Watch out or I'll change you into a chamberpot! Instant victory.

Sleep. Cottage. Silence of pesky cursed knights. Knights which were not there, intruding, following and doing unknightly bickering with her. A knight that is not there! She sighed and glanced down to her side without slowing.

"You're still following me. Maybe a chamber pot a-la-mode would be more to your liking!" She snapped.

"Am I really?"

"What? Don't be a jerk, knights are supposed to be polite."

"No, I mean, am I really following you? I could just happen to be going in the same direction, you know." He scurried ahead for a moment, avoiding her stomping swerve just in time.

"I'm tired, not stupid."

"Certainly you are." He murmurred.

She scowled at a thick branch oozing sap and stepped around it."I'm a Wicked Witch." She looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

"If you say so."

"You're a hedgehog." She stated quickly.

"Of course I am."

"You're almost smaller than my foot."

Sir Roland scurried around a tree just in time, cobwebs from a bush wrapped around his spikey coat and streamed behind him."Absolutely."

"I could step on you."

"Yes, yes..."

"You've just realized this is where we split up and you go elsewhere." The teenage Witch held her breath hopefully.

"No, I haven't. I don't."

"Blast!"

Gildy sighed. She'd hoped he was doing the automatic positive responses enough…but no, of course not. She was so tired. She didn't want to deal with this pest right now.

"Remind me why you wanted to stay a hedgehog."

"I had no wish to be eaten." Creeper looked down at the knight smugly from Gildy's shoulder at his words.

"The dragon promised he wouldn't." Creeper attempted to start bathing his nether regions, claws clutching at Gildy's shoulder

"Sure, until I offended you somehow, and how am I supposed to succeed in my quest without offending the 'Wicked Witch!', who happens to be my enemy?"

"Aren't you a knight? Can't you and your pointy sword deal with a baby dragon all by yourself? Oh wait—" She gave him a pitying look, "you said you've failed all your quests, didn't you? I see."

"I don't trust your spells when you're tired. Who knows what you might have turned me into!"

"Fine then, if you promise to leave me alone for the night, I'll turn you back in the morning."

"Ah, so you'll put up some sort of protections during the night, so I can't get back to your cottage by morning for my quest or to have the curse removed!"

"I thought you just said you don't trust my spells."

"I don't—if they're supposedly designed to help me. Spells designed to work against me, sure I trust them to do what they're intended to do, or the general idea of what they're intended to do. Look, I'm sticking around, in sight, until you've gotten your strength back and change me back into my true form."

Creeper suddenly looked down at the knight and glanced at Gildy. Gildy winked at her kitten conspiringly then scowled at the hedgehog.

"All right, fine. You can stick around until morning, in another room. You have my word I will not do any spells affecting you until I have returned you to your True Form."

"Good, thank you. Wait-but you have to promise not to break your promise or, er, you must counter the spell on the Princess I want to rescue!"

"To bad the change of shape didn't have a little more effect on your brain...Fine, I promise I will change you back to your true form in the morning if you leave me alone all night, and I promise that if I break that promise, I'll change back the Princess for whom you are on quest. However, you will have to be quiet from now until morning."

"By Morwen, promise by Morwen." He requested suspiciously.

Gildy scowled. It would be so nice to get rid of him! "I promise I will change you back to your true form in the morning if you leave me alone all night, and I promise that if I break that promise, I'll change back the Princess for whom you are on quest. May Morwen curse me if I don't."

"Fine. Ah, the quiet thing...even if it's an emergency?"

"Define your opinion of emergency."

She pushed a branch out of the way, wishing he were at her level as it swatted back into place behind her. She should have been at her cottage by now but the forest apparently wanted her path to be longer at the moment. Lovely timing.

"Uh, an attack from someone or something." said the knight.

"Only if the attack can do serious harm to one of us. Anything less, as a knight, I'm sure you can handle it."

"Handle it...A knight as a hedgehog."

"What, are knights just big guys in metal with a pointy sword?" She smiled as she reached her cottage, opening her door.

"Of course not!"

"Well then, even a hedgehog knight should be resourceful. I'd think they would train real knights to deal with fighting in cursed forms, around here."

"You know…that's not a bad idea."

Gildy shrugged at him. "You will sleep down here, wherever, as long as its not on the table or counters."

"I—"

"The silence starts now, good night." She smiled sweetly and shut her bedroom door behind her. There was a faint scraping noise of a bolt sliding home.

Sir Roland looked around him at the cottage. There were rows of shelves, cupboards, and little drawers; a large pot belly stove, a cauldron hanging over a cold hearth, and a cluttered table and chairs. With a resigned claw, the hedgehog began investigating cupboards for something nice to sleep on.

In her room Gildy winced at her growling stomach and sighed. She had forgotten to grab their food before going in the room. She was so tired it was almost as if her feet had grown roots of their own will. She told her body walk-and it just stood there, swaying slightly. Sure, the thought wasn't terribly strong, but still.

Let's walk to the door, open it, go get food, eat—for energy! Then sle—she found herself falling on to her bed, burrowing under the covers.

Sometimes it wasn't 'mind over matter', it was mind doesn't matter, she thought as sleep pulled her into darkness.

Creeper yawned widely and curled himself up between her neck and shoulder with only a brief, half-hearted purr before he too was lost to sleep for the night.

Elsewhere in the forest, a flying dragon drowsily pressed onward. It was urgent, it told itself, need to get there soon. The dragon was startled back into wakefulness by another shout of fright from the dangling Wizard below. Seeing the large boulder ahead of them, the dragon abruptly climbed and shook himself awake. Again. At least he had pulled up before impact this time. Wizards made a very undragonly thudge on impact. It was interesting. Not that he was thudging the Wizard on purpose. Of course not.

The Wizard was heavy for such a young dragon, but it couldn't let the skinny Wizard know it was tiring, or weak! Breifly, the beast peered at the enchanted branch the scrawny ankles were dangling from. It could be cut, then the burden would be gone... One could fly faster...

Just tell the king about the whole thing…no, better not. Besides even if the king didn't need or care about this Wizard, there would at least have an easy meal for the effort in the morning.

With effort, the dragon managed to keep itself awake. Soon, snoring drifted in the dragon's wake, vibrating the leash. The thing tickled, keeping the dragon amused. It wondered if there really were a flurry of concerned Wizards out somewhere. They didn't strike one as the type to rescue a fellow…


	5. Ch5 In Which Gildy Does Herself No Good

**5. In which Gildy does herself no good.**

Gildy yawned and stretched. She yelped and flinched as Creeper launched and adhered himself onto an exposed foot.

"Creeper! How many times do I have to tell you! Don't _do _that mortal kitten thing! It hurts!" Smugly, the kit unattached himself and sauntered over, vibrating with purring. She rolled her eyes at him. "You purr far too much for a Wicked Witch's cat you know, you'll have to grow out of that. Except when it would be spooky."

She yawned and sat up thoughtfully. "Like, say when one of my victims is prisoner in a dark cave, _totally_ freaked out, and suddenly sees you. Then you could purr at him. No, not like that, you have to do the spooky look we talked about, go on." Creeper laid back his ears and lifted his head with eyes closed.

"No, that's really not it. You look smug or arrogant, not spooky!" Gildy stuck her tongue out at him as he opened his eyes and started bathing. She rose and untwisted her robe, then went to appease her growling stomach.

As she strode into her kitchen, humming, she opened a spelled cupboard and grabbed some cold cheese, pork, and eggs. Humming in a very contradictory way, she worked at breakfast. When her tea pot started whistling like a mad robin, she removed it and grabbed her big mug from the cupboard. She closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the scent of her breakfast, then set the mug on the counter and picked up the tea pot to pour--and screamed.

Gildy wrenched the teapot away from her mug just in time, splattering near-boiling tea all over her kitchen. Beady little terrified eyes stared up at her out of her mug.

"In My Cup? YOU SLEPT _IN MY CUP?!" _Sir Roland cowered in her mug, all quivering bristles and eyes. "Out, get out!" She dumped him out of the mug, near the floor. He rolled out neatly and moved a couple feet away, then sat up and sniffed.

"Uh...good morning...?" He looked eagerly up at the stove, then backed up further as Gildy slammed around in a flurry of black robed temper.

"Look at this mess! There's--" her bare foot slipped and she staggered, "tea all over my floor _and _on my breakfast!"

"Err...if you change me back I can clean it up for you." The hedgehog sat up on his hind legs, trying to see the breakfast.

"Change you back? Now? After you spent the night _in_ _my tea mug? _You likely would try to eat my breakfast too if I changed you back! Ha! No." She scraped her salvaged portions of breakfast onto her plate and sloshed the remaining tea into a different mug. "You've just earned yourself another day as a hedgehog, _away_ from my cottage!"

"Hey! You promised! You can't just change your mind last minute like that!"

Gildy put her breakfast and tea on the table, then set Creeper's within reach with exaggerated slowness. "Oh, I can't can I?" She rose as Creeper started on his breakfast and spun in a tangle of wrinkled black robes.

The hedgehog backed up nervously. Her hair was a diastrous halo around her head, and her eyes looked downright predatory. Creeper shuffled around his dish so he could eat and enjoy the show at the same time. "No! You can't, unless you want _Morwen_ to curse you!" He bristled triumphantly as she halted and frowned.

"Drat, I forgot about that. What is it, Creeper?"

"Mrremmeerrr mre mrehr _mreeww_ _mrorrrmmr!_"

"Oh...that's _right!_" Gildy looked at the knight gleefully. She chanted her spell in her mind,

_First sorry human knight_

_then little hedgehog pest_

_with changing spell set things right:_

_Roland in True Form so I can rest!_

Gildy smirked as the hedgehog's shape rippled, and sat down to her breakfast, closing her eyes to savor the first bite. True Form! It was brilliant! She forced herself to savor the anticipation along with her breakfast, not looking at him. The eggs, they were perfect, well what she had salvaged anyway. The light flavor of cream, dill, and butter...with melted cheese...The pork perfectly cooked of course, lightly crispy along the outsides, juicy... Bewitched pots and pans really were one of the better benefits of being a witch!

Creeper jumped up onto her lap under the table, which blocked her view of the floor unless she changed positions. Draw it out longer, it was like dessert! To top if off, she'd just have to tease him.

"Well Sir Roland, I suppose if you want some breakfast. I shouldn't be _too_ rude and send you away on an empty stomach." After pausing for affect, she looked up to see...nothing.

Gildy stared at the empty space with horror creeping coldly down her neck. What had she done? She stood, shoving the chair out of the way and looked under the table, around the room. No animal. No human! Not even a new peice of furniture! Uneasily she turned to walk toward the door."He probably just rushed quietly out the door as soon as he was changed or something."

She was just about to take a step away from the table when Creeper hissed and swatted at her foot. Gildy yelped and sat hard into her chair.

"_What?_" Creeper narrowed his eyes and thrashed his tail at her, then looked pointedly at the floor. She stared at the floor. It was the same woven mat covered dirt floor as before, it wasn't as though it was new. There were no holes in it as though he'd changed to a mole and gone down under, so what--Oh, right. He could be a bug or something on the floor. Gildy hissed in frustration. The idea was to free herself from the knight's annoying presence! Not to be responsible for his survival with a single possible step! Gathering the crumpled black hem of her sleeping robe, she lowered to a crouch and inspected the floor around her.

Gildy continued to inspect her cottage, one barefoot step at a time. She spoke to non-communicative spiders, inspected their webs for fresh kills, looked around outside. Finally, with her back and head aching, she walked carefully back inside. She would at least finish her tea and breakfast before searching any more. She should have known he would only continue to be a hassle somehow. Really though, who was to say he hadn't simply left right away? Roland no doubt put as much distance between himself and Gildy as possible. It was a perfectly natural survival method. Gildy smiled slightly to herself and picked up her spoon and knife.

"That has to be it, Creeper." She waved a fly off her food."He just took off right away. After all, he's not _that_ stupid, why would he want to hang around? I'm sure he's learned his lesson about harassing _this_ Wicked Witch." Gildy brushed some wild hair out of her face distractedly, and pushed her food around on her plate. She waved the fly out of her face. She was a mess, this wasn't the sort of Wicked Witch she was aiming for. She wanted to present the gorgeous, dramatically dark sort of wicked witch. But not too dark, with her coloring, she needed at least a little color here and there. Beauty required it. She shoved her plate away and left to change.

She'd laid three different robes on her bed. All black of course, but there were dark rich colored touches in each one. She tapped a finger on her lips. She was going to wear one of her better robes today, she deserved it after what she had been through. She snatched up the one with violet and gold accented black and admired the affect.

Much more cheerful she re-entered the kitchen and picked up her abandoned plate. Creeper was acrobatically persuing the fly.

"You're usually better at that, Creeper. Feeling out of sorts?" She put her plate in the sink and cleaned the mess in her small kitchen. She glanced every once in a while at Creeper, enjoying his agile jumps and mid air twists. Cat's were really capable of such grace!

Creeper crashed into a chair.

Right, well, _cats_ were--not necessarily kittens. Or Ming's. She wasn't sure where that thought had come from, but shrugged it off. Creeper jumped right back up again and fixed his eyes on the fly, Gildy leaned against the table and followed the fly's path. It was doing the angular sort of pattern thing, with an occasional curve. Creeper shuffled into a crouch and leapt. Curves...

"Creeper no!" He pulled his paw away and landed with a disgruntled thud. He glared. "I think...that fly acts odd..."

To be sure, she did the quick speech spell. The fly landed, muttering to itself.

"I'm so confused, I was trying to get back to the plate, I _was_ getting back to it, and then this turbulence and huge cat, and for some reason I just _had_ to try this different route...thirty degrees left, fourty left from there, ten right, nothing like my training but it just seemed like such a _brilliant_ idea. But still, a turn was a _good _idea, but it felt so wrong! Yet the angles were taking so--" The fly had been scrubbing its wings along with the muttering as Gildy cautiously moved closer.

"Err...Sir Roland?"

"--long and she _said_ I could have some breakfast. Food, when is the last time I ate again? Too long ago, I'm sure. Although _now_ I feel rather sick to my stomach, _again_...Err...yes?"


	6. Ch6 In Which Sir Roland Tries New Angles

**Chapter 6. **

**In Which Sir Roland Tries New Angles**

Gildy stared at the fly, where it stood on her abandoned plate. A fly. It was _so_ appropriate! Getting into her tea mug and being unsanitary, constantly hanging around, unwanted, _bugging _her to death! She winced, hoping she hadn't just tempted fate. Guilt slithered into her mind. How could she send him away as a fly?

Sir Roland was puking on her breakfast remains. She grimaced in distaste. She certainly didn't want a _fly _hanging around, doing…fly things. Staring at the fly on her plate, she had the overwhelming instinctive urge to swat it with her woven fly paddle. Just, whap! _Squish_, and no more obnoxious little bugger. He was still muttering, in between new mouthfuls. Her hand twitched toward the paddle hanging on its nail. It was within arms reach!

Creeper leapt up onto the table, and for a moment her urge to swat the fly shifted to a sharp urge to swat the kitten off the table. She restrained the urge and scowled at the table. Creeper was her familiar, he was supposed to be involved in things like this, and well, involvement was best accomplished on the table at the moment. Sir Roland was still rambling to himself between mouthfuls about angles and curves. What a strange thing the shape was doing to his mind!

"...the 110.116 degrees angles followed by 83.0 degree angles next time, then a 45.27 degrees upward--the worlds move so wonderfully at those angles--and then some cur--no, curves feel wrong, more angles, maybe a--"

"Ahem, Sir Fly." She made a face as he choked on a full mouth of food and proceeded to return it, gagging, to the plate. He looked at her.

"They speak. Shes speaks. To me? What are shes?" Suddenly the insect leapt with a deft use of wings and buzzed toward Gildy's face with a short series of wide angles. As he approached Gildy stumbled back and waved her hand irritably in front of her face.

"Stop that! Get back! GET AWAY! I'll swat you, I will! Creeper! Get him--carefully!"

Will a small mrrrowr of delight, Creeper leapt eagerly from the table and grabbed the fly between his two paws. It was a perfect catch! Creeper fell on his side with a breath stalling grunt, barely managing to spare his head a knock on the floor. He opened his paws. The young witch knelt carefully, hoping his catch had been delicate enough. The knight buzzed and rolled weakly on the floor, stunned.

"Very wrong angles for downs, could feel them through the cage, the cats should have at least tried for 20 degree angles--or even cur-, cu-, _curves! _"

Creeper glared at the fly and his curled paw inched a little closer to the knight, flexing slowly. The young witch stopped her annoyed familiar with a movement of her hand. "_Sir Roland_." Why wouldn't he stop the obsessive nervous rambling? He seemed worse now! He was also still not responding to her directly. Gildy looked up at her ceiling and counted.

"Creeper...keep track of him for a while, will you please? Don't, ah...hurt him, ok?" Creeper sneezed and layed his chin on his paws, eyes fixed on Roland. Gildy left her cottage with the door securely shut behind her. He was so..._frustrating! _This was getting to be too much! First he tried to attack her, then he got in the way of her curse, then he wouldn't accept her gracious offer to change him back at a convinient time, then...well really, it added up and she didn't want to think of quite how much or he wouldn't survive the day.

She could just tell any inquirers that well, the knight had flown. Yes, yes, its _true_ knights weren't meant to fly. Sadly he was now dead. He really shouldn't have gone flying about like that and all...nevermind he'd been flying as a fly. Or that he'd had a fly's end.

Gildy sat in a pool of robes and fingered some grass stems. She couldn't do it...he wasn't...horrible or a complete air head, he was just--intrusive and demanding! Unco-operative. She snorted to herself. A man. At least he wasn't the brainless prince variety though. At least, she didn't think so. Gildy's fingers stilled at the thought. What if he _was _a prince? Sure she had no qualms about cursing the Royal Ditzes, but usually she went after the princesses, and actually checked out the kingdoms first to see how bent on avenging their royalty there were.

Some of the kingdoms chose the helpless victim kingdom role, whether sincerely distressed and saddened, truly helpless--or not. 'Oh me!' they would say, 'our wonderful princess has been cursed! Some foreign knight or prince, come save our kingdom and rule wisely and bravely over us! We'll be here waiting, thanks!' Some kingdoms...took on a more proactive role. 'Oh the horror! Our beautiful ruler has been kidnapped/cursed! We must do something! Someone among us must be strong or clever enough, let's hold a tournament to find him!' Advertising would be done, with gossip, bloating the rewards of the kingdom and the beauty or kindness of the victim. Soon a champion would come save the day.

Or the kingdom might have an excess of heroes or Royal Ditzes to send out. The Ditzes were just a hassle, but heroes? They could have a one track mind, but they tended to be rather good at that track.

The third one was one no wicked witch cared to dwell on, unless she were insanely powerful and ambitious. It was the kind of kingdom that thought so highly of itself or the victimized ruler, that a war against the witch or sorceress was started. Gildy winced.That was usually only done by careful manipulation from the Wicked One, or the people themselves were pushed too far and began with a mob, set on escalation.

A beetle crawled up a stem and onto her finger placidly. If Roland was royal, he could be one of the royals turned hero. There were only so many kingdoms, thus the reason why so many were willing to do the helpless role in return for controlled R.D (Royal Ditzes.) Really, Witches did them a favor. Some knew it. Some were into dramatizing all the old ways and living them.

Gildy looked up at a crash coming from the cottage. She ran and threw open the door, curses ready, to see her spelled, free standing cupboard had been knocked over. Her precious remaining eggs, butter, and meat were in an impromptu raw omelette on her mats. And on a wide-eyed Creeper. Sir Roland was exuberantly attempting to wade through egg yolk to get to the submerged meat. Knights didn't have a very high life expectancy rate, did they? Well, based on evidence, that would be a reasonable conclusion in her opinion.

"Out. Both of you, get out of that. Creeper, I don't even want to know how or why. Just watch Roland and get away from the mess." She was so calm, and rather proud of herself for it too. When they had gone from the puddle that was her remaining fresh food, she disposed of the whole thing with a spell. Then she set about inspecting the cupboards.

She had a very little bit of grain...but meat, she loved meat. Had to have meat. There was nothing for it, they'd have to go into town, she'd been needing to do so soon anyway. Roland couldn't go as a fly though, and she couldn't leave him here. She leaned back against her counter and looked at the entranced kit and experimenting fly thoughtfully. What to change him into? She knew he'd had something to do with the mess. He'd have to pay for it somehow...Ah!!

"Ok, outside now, come on." She strode ahead and opened the cottage door, waiting for both of them to go outside. Sir Roland was a bit slow, unwilling to sacrifice his angles, but at last he made it out. He landed on the lamp post outside her cottage and rubbed his forelegs together gleefully.

"They were just like I thought they would be! The angles! Magnificent! Yet still managed to come so far! Next time I shall have to insert a lovely little pattern somewhere in the middle, a sort of centerpiece--"

"Get off the lamp post please, and try flying over there...show me those, ah, angles...Creeper, you stay here."

"Ah! Admirers of our great flying! She's wanting to see our newest angles chains!" The flying knight launched himself into the air, performing the first couple angles at high speed, she heard him muttering and he slowed. Carefully, so that she wouldn't miss, Gildy performed her spell. The fly halted in mid-air, then started to drop like a stone, its shape blurring and growing. Creeper averted his eyes in distaste.

The horse snorted in surprise and eyed the ground, then Gildy. She hoped the speech spell was intact. "Sir Roland?"

"Yes? While I'll admit this is much better, it is not, I'd like to point out--my human form. Which is what you promised." He let one back leg go slack. "Those angles were exhausting you know."

Gildy stayed silent a moment, proudly studying the result of her spell. He was magnificent! A gorgeous black arabian, with a white witch's hat shaped blaze, she'd decided a hint of his being bespelled was necessary to help discourage thieves. Something was missing though. Gildy ran her fingers over her robes absently. Ah! She pointed at Roland the Dark Steed, affixing her next spell. She clapped her hands at the effect.

"Perfect! I like this shape!" Creeper eyed the horse warily, fur on end as he met the eerily glowing red eyes. Sir Roland attempted a suspicious look, which didn't quite fit properly on an equine face.

"What did you do to me?"

"It's perfect! Don't worry you're a very handsome stallion, I simply added glowing red eyes! Isn't that great!" She sighed in delight. "Now you look like a true Wicked Witch's Steed! Stunning! Come here for a moment..." Warily, the horse took a few steps forward then halted, several handsbreadth between them. "Eh, of course I couldn't see it when he's walking. Roland, canter in a circle in that clearing there, please."

"Excuse me. It's _Sir Roland_, and you have broken your promise. Morwen is _not _going to be pleased about having to get involved in this little mess you've made. You've got _that _to worry about right now, but you want to _try my paces?_ Surely you jest, little witch."

Gildy ignored him and pointed a finger at him languidly. "Canter there as I directed, or I shall _make _you!" With ears back, the knight obeyed, his eyes searching the forest around them. "Ah I thought not."

When his circle brought his back to her, she cast another spell. Sir Roland bucked and neighed in alarm as gold sparks flew up from his hooves. He shied away, but his hooves continued sparking with each impact--even on the green grass and moist. His nostrils flared and he snorted, looking at Gildy.

"Has anyone ever told you, that your taste is _bad _? I mean, sparks? Juvenille. Drama queen!"

"Look! At least I didn't make them multicolored and make you sing dirges or something, ok! You _owe _me for that mess you made of my food! So..." She climbed onto his back and sent Creeper to fetch her purse, through his door. "_You_ will take me shopping, and we're going to a town that is _hours_ away, at high speed please, to shop."

The Stallion laid his ears back and bared his blocky teeth. His eyes clearly communicated genuine dislike. "I thought perhaps there was some _decency_ in you somewhere, but you're really just a spoiled, bullying little brat! Get over yourself! I'll take you there alright, and back, then you had better change me back!" Creeper leapt up and latched onto Gildy's robes with his claws, then dragged himself and the purse upward.

"Let's go then, that way."

"I _know_ which way the town you're thinking of is, thank you. Tell your furball to keep his claws out of my hide or I shall bite his tail off." With an angry huff, Roland reared and spun on his hind legs, lunging off in a full gallop. His nostrils and red eyes flared eerily, matching his anger. Golden sparks flew hissing and popping in their wake. Gildy held on for her life and got ahold of her fear, straightening her back and drawing her pride around her.

They reached the town well before mid-day. Gildy was stunned at the speed he was traveling. As they entered the town at full gallop, Gildy straightened her hat and robes, lifting her chin with a serene expression, aiming for a majestic look to complete her dramatic entrance. Unfortunately, as he slowed to a canter, all eyes were on the awe-inspiring stallion—not his rider. A little disgruntled, she instructed him to stop in the market courtyard, pointing out a horse trough and drinking her fill from a well as she surveyed the growing crowd.

With her hands shaking with excitement, she lowered the chained dipper back into the well then strode to the dairy booth, thankful they were early enough for the milks and butters to have been returned to cold cellars elsewhere. She checked the position of her black witches hat self-consciously. Pausing, she turned to look at the stallion and found himi watching her.

"You may find some shade within sight and rest if you like, Sir Roland." When he just stared at her, his ears still angled backward, she turned to another vendor. "You sir, provide my stallion with a meal of his choice, if you please! Don't worry…he'll co-operate, it's food you'll be giving him after all…and err…I doubt he'll want flesh right now."

The man looked slightly relieved and looked for a halter or reigns to lead him. Sir Roland glanced at the man, then back at Gildy.

"Thank you, I will rest and eat, waiting here for your return." The man jumped back in surprise as the stallion spoke. The knight turned his head to the man. "Do not fear me, please lead the way."

The young witch leisurely did her shopping, preening in the awe and respect of the towns people. When she had filled a basket she purchased with her groceries, she set a cooling spell on it. She found Sir Roland waiting in the shade, his breath smelling of fresh apples.

"I'm afraid I remember what I ate...and er, _un-ate_ as a fly. Despite my current shape's interest in hay and alfalfa I stuck to apples and carrots. Quite good. I will still require a healthy meal when we get back and I can consume it in a human fashion." He walked along next to her as she wandered down the street. As they passed by a tavern, voices drifted out and caught the knight's attention.

"...a princess tied up for some dragon we haven't _heard_ of, and now a witch on a bespelled stallion! Our town is moving up in the world." The tone was clearly sarcastic. Gildy moved forward slightly to listen.

"The princess is the worst though. I mean, the witch just came, put on a harmless show. Her Royal Bratness has done much more damage. What are my wife and I supposed to give for our daughter's dowry now? Young Jorsh was counting on that to pay for the new business he started to support them after they're married. She took the mayor's chain of office! She took the ten best oxen and cattle the town has! Just to feed and _lure _a dragon we didn't have and don't want--"

"I know, I know...calm down. We all know. Never know who is listening though, best to guard your--" Roland the stallion had stuck his head in the doorway and was staring at the speaker. Guessing he had been noticed, Gildy peered in too, next to Roland. Seeing he'd been discovered, the stallion walked _in_to the tavern and up to the mens' table. The bartender protested loudly until he saw Gildy's pointed hat follow over the knight's shoulder.

"Pardon my intrusion, gentlemen, but I couldn't help but overhear that there seems to be a princess...err...in distress?"

They stared at the talking stallion then snuck a look at each other to make sure they weren't the only one who had heard it. Both relaxed slightly for an instant, but one scowled, his face turning red, and from his expression was about to say something rude. His companion elbowed him sharply.

"I think you mean a princess _causing_ distress, Sir Knight." Gildy said sarcastically. She checked her hat to make sure it wasn't crooked, and smoothed her robes. She lifted her chin slightly and smoothly introduced herself. "I am Gildelaine, The Wicked Witch of The Wailing Shadows," she announced "and it sounds as though this princess needs to learn a bit of a lesson.

"Gildelaine? Err, would that be Gildy?" Gildy blushed faintly with delight.

"Gildy to a select few..."

"Ahhh. Well then, you're the one who puts, err. Well, _ingenious _curses on the young royals then?"

"Quite." His companion elbowed him again and looked at Gildy and the stallion with misgiving. "Well then, if you will but tell us where this princess is, I will--"

"Rescue the poor maiden, as I am honor bound to do!" Sir Roland said loudly, shifting a hoof to land slightly on the girl's boot. Gildy seethed but remained quiet while the directions were being giving. She stalked out coldly, unsure how to recover in front of then. The knight spared her a look and urged her to pick up her pace.

"You idiot! You're a _horse_ right now, how can you rescue a princess from a dragon right now? Even if you did, _then_ what would you do with her? Ha! Marry her? Double-Hah!"

"I'm not going to _remain_ a horse, remember? I'm honor bound to rescue a princess in distress--"

She snorted in disbelief, "Oh sure, you'll save this one even though you failed all your other quests to save princesses! How old _are_ you by the way, because if you've attempted and failed so many quests you must be _quite_ old. Any princess who might be persuaded to marry a horse on a promise that he won't stay one isn't likely to add an _old_ knight horse on top of it!"

"I simply started very young for a knight, all right? I was only _ten_ when I earned my spurs and started questing! I failed because--"

"Unless she's really desperate! She probably knocked out all her teeth as a child and some strange condition that has her bald despite her youth, and yet the worst part is she is an utter fool, and _somehow_ is no longer a maiden! But _you_ would probably want her anyway just to succeed in a quest for once in your life!"

The street was silent, except for the young incensed witch's last words ringing down along the stone. The stallion's gaze was fixed on the street ahead, his neck arched and nostrils flaring.

"Why are you so interested in cursing this princess? It almost sounds like you want to _help_ someone, that's surely not a characteristic thing for the _Wicked Witch of the Wailing Shadows _to do, is it?"

Gildy's face turned red and she swatted the horses flank in bad temper, "I won't turn you back into a human, I won't! You'll just have to _deal_ with this yourself! You aren't going to even _speak _to the princess! I should let the dragon eat you!"

"In case you forgot, there's not even a dragon yet!"

"Ah-ha! So you admit she is trying to lure one to this town!"

Roland came to a halt and raised his head to the sky, then shook himself. After a moment he lowered his head and resumed walking.

"I will deal with this brat, Roland. You will get no more involved than I want you to. You cannot get in the way of this."

"Look Gildy, even if she was an awful, useless princess, at least the people would have _me. _I'd have to be an improvement to them! I'm not old, but I'm starting to feel it around you!"

The witch glanced at him and flicked a finger in his direction. The horse looked at her suspiciously and inquired, "Neeeiiggghhbbhh?" His eyes widened in surprise, then resignation. He fell back slightly as she walked on, ignoring him. In the distance they could now hear a strangely distorted feminine cry. With the next turn, the princess came into view. Cows and Oxen were tightly tethered to either side of her, the glint of gold and silver drew attention to their royal wailing centerpeice. As they drew closer at first the cries gained enthusiasm, and the girl appeared to posing. Gildy sighed.

A few eager wails of "Oh please, gallant sir, rescue me from the dragon's maw!" later, the cries had lost all enthusiasm.

"A witch? And a horse? Go _away!_ I'm supposed to be rescued by a knight or a prince!" They stood several feet away from the chained princess.

"Who chained you there to be a poor sacrifice? Couldn't the town provide it's own, common virgins first according to tradition?"

"What's the point? They'd just be a waste of time and in my way, like you are right now! There's nothing for you to do here! I had myself chained and ready for a dragon! Go mind your own business!"

"Did the people give those beasts and items willingly for your game?"

"They're mine! I have a right to them, I'm a _princess_! They would do anything to make the dragon happy!"

"Or just to get rid of you perhaps..."

"What did you say?"

"Look, I know they didn't give you all that willingl--" A slight weight landed on her shoulder. Assuming it was Roland's equine face intruding she turned a cold glare..."Creeper?! Where have you been!" She listened angrily for a moment, then in surprise. Slowly a smile spread over her face.

"Oh really? That sounds like a nice alternative, but I'll have to come up with a special curse for her just in case. In the meantime, might as well enjoy the show. As she spoke, she slowly turned, anticipation marking her features. The princesses wails faded to a squeak. Approaching rapidly over the rooves was the silhouette of a dragon in the distance. Sir Roland's eyes rolled in dismay.

The girl craned her neck to look behind them hopefully, tossed her head, sagged in a pose, and resumed her wails of distress. Watching the girl who could only be a year or two older than herself, Gildy was disgusted. She leaned against Roland's shoulder.


	7. Ch7 In Which Sir Roland Sparks Things Up

**Chapter 7.**

**In which Roland sparks things up **

"What kind of curse shall we use on this one do you think, Creeper?" She grinned wickedly at the scowling princess.

When he failed to answer she looked to see his eyes fixed on the approaching dragon. The young witch hesitated, disappointed her kitten wasn't eagerly conspiring with her like usual. A farmer was whipping his uneasy team toward a barn. Hastily collected harvest had been thrown into the cart, and was leaving behind a small sliding trail. A couple of children ran past, pointing excitedly at the sky as their mother called urgently for them to get inside _or else._

Gildy looked up to watch the approaching dragon. There were nice dragons, and sure she was a witch, but...she was tired. You need a lot of energy to use magic effectively against a dragon, or at least considerably more skill and experience than _she _had. She could at least curse the princess though, to teach her a lesson.

Gildelaine, the 'Wicked Witch of the Wailing Shadows' was far from helpless there.

"You don't make sense, Gildy."

Sir Roland was avoiding looking at the dragon, his flanks shivering and the whites of his eyes showing outside the glowing red. It was clear he was fighting a horse's powerful instinct to run, and winning. But still, he was trying to pretend the dragon wasn't there. _Not very knightly, but the horse nature would be strong. _She stifled the guilt twinging her conscience, it struggled still in its mental corner.

"What do you mean I don't make sense?"

She shifted her feet and realized she was leaning rather heavily on the stallion. _Oh, right, already did a few spells today, didn't I?_ She was starting to feel it, emotionally and physically.

Sir Roland reared, and directed some rampant male posturing at the dragon. Shocked, Gildy stumbled back, only just managed to recover her balance and looked at him uneasily. His behavior clearly laid claim on the territory and warned the dragon off. He tore at the ground with great sparking hooves. The effects of her spell added an unearthly intensity to his sudden fierce behavior, un-nerving her.

Gildy walked over to stand near the princess, as though she hadn't meant to retreat. Despite herself, she was impressed, and for the moment forgot about his comment. The dragon roared back and rushed forward eagerly in the sky high above. It's long snake-like neck gracefully curved downward as it dipped a wing and circled, eying the stallion with interest. Wind whipped her hair around her face and she looked up to see that the dragon had landed. The stallion reared bravely at the dragon again, screaming challenge. She looked around as a few of the peoples' doors and shutters belatedly slammed shut. Then stared.

The remainder of someone's haystack was scattering in the wind nearby. There was a half-heartedly struggling figure rolling out of the hay, and getting to his...hands.

"Oh." She looked away from the disheveled old man to the familiar dragon. "Wait a moment," she looked at the dragon accusingly. "I thought you were taking the wizard to the king right away! What are _you_ doing here?"

The dragon, which had been favoring its foot, looked up with narrowed eyes. Belatedly, she remembered there was a _reason_ you were supposed to be polite to dragons. "Er, I mean...young dragon! A pleasure, of course, to see you again. Did something go amiss in your flight? Is all well?"

Sir Roland's aggressive equine show calmed as he looked at the dragon closely. He snorted and looked at Gildy, shuffling restlessly. He bade the dragon a cautious but polite welcome of his own, then looked at _her, _not bothering to hide his irritation now. Like it was _her _fault!

"Are you going to curse the princess, let me rescue her, or let the dragon deal with her?" The dragon was looking hungrily at the chained princess, the offerings of healthy beasts--and that which glitters.

"Well, being a _wicked witch, _I was considering a bit of both curse and dragon, somehow. They would make for an appropriate combination." Gildy looked past the horse's shoulder, avoiding his eye. A nearby shutter was slowly opened a crack, too little to see the person opening it.

"There, you see? That doesn't make sense. Even if the princess needs a lesson, think about the people here. The last thing they need is some draconic destruction added to what the princess took. There's only a few farms in this town, haven't you noticed? By the way, you did _pay_ the stables for the meal they gave me, yes?"

The dragon looked up from its foot suddenly, then at the fields thoughtfully. Its neck stretched up toward the fields, then down uncertainly. Serpentine eyes regarded the stallion and Gildy questioningly. She suspected it was wondering if it ought to perform some of the mentioned destruction.

"But," she said desperately., "It would be _wicked _of me, right?"

He stayed silent.

She blinked as her eyes burned. It dawned on her that things as they were, well, were downright _lousy_. Nevermind that it hadn't seemed that way a few minutes ago! Of _course_ she had paid the man, and generously too, but for some reason she _didn't want to admit it to Roland_. She'd been working her way to a better plan but he had to go throw in his two cents before she was finished. Here he was throwing out all kinds of possibilities so that, no matter what she came up with or decided on, her idea would seem like _his_ idea! He was making it rather hard to come off as a powerful, self-sufficient _wicked _witch. Sir Roland pawed at the ground with an enchanted hoof and tossed his head arrogantly. She glared at him.

The dragon waited for one of them to remember him. Creeper sat with tail neatly laid on his paws, enjoying the entertainment while his mistress fumed. The knight still wouldn't admit she was a Wicked Witch, and a unique one at that. Despite everything she had done to him already! The last thing her pride would allow right now was to give him an exposing explanation that she didn't exactly have a clear plan yet. How would he be able to resist making an attack when she left herself vulnerable? It _had_ to be avoided! What was with her? She wanted to impress him, but she didn't. She wanted him to know she was wicked, but that she was good too.

Bringing her thoughts forcefully back to the present, Gildy started to consider possible curses. Started to...her body vehemently reminded her there was no way _anything_ but a spell implementation on a _wart_ potion was going to happen today. _No wonder he thinks I don't make sense. _Did he have to keep watching her like that? It was weird to have a horse fixing an unblinking gaze on you. There was a thump and rustling somewhere nearby.

"If you turn me back into my human form, young Witch, I shall deal with this situation for you," he reminded her.

She was tempted, so tempted. Why shouldn't she? Having him around was more bothersome than anything, and confusing. She'd never felt so confused and so frustrated all the time, in her life! _Too bad I can't right now. It's so tempting to try._ To save face, Gildy made a show of considering the princess. The royal pain was looking at the hungry dragon with dismay, and the horse knight. A form interjected itself into the witch's view of the knight.

"Ex_cuse _me for interrupting, but where are we, and why is it such a large group of "we" now? Although I've suffered several bumps to my head and various other unmentionables the past long hours, I was under the impression we were on the way, that is--the _dragon and I_--were on our way to see the king. _She," _he pointed the instantly affronted princess, "Doesn't much look like the king, if you take my meaning. I'm sure my wits haven't been so battered as to make a mistake there. I _do _want to see the king now you know. Very much. I have quite a bit to say about the abuse I have suffered! The head wizard will have much to _do_ about it, too!"

They all stared at the inverted wizard. His face was not as flushed as one's face should be after spending time upside down. Perhaps it was possible for the body to adjust to such a thing. Bruises and a scratch along his cheek discolored oddly pale skin. The long stick rope Gildy had made lay on the ground, one end still attached to the wizard, the other wet with something.

Part of the wizard's robes had started to escape the big bow tied about his shaking ankles, and the material gaped wearily to expose a white hairy calf. The bow itself looked utterly exhausted with its job. Sir Roland looked at the wizard, then at the young witch, shaking his head silently. The dragon ignored the wizard and leaned forward to sniff a cow that had resigned itself to munching on grass. The cow's eyes rolled, showing the whites, as the dragon's breath ruffled its tail. The dragon realized it was being watched and pulled its snout back just in time to avoid a kick.

"Well...uhh..." Gildy looked at them blankly, overwhelmed. Sir Roland snorted softly in disgust and stepped slightly in front of her. Looking around, the stallion spotted the partially open shutters and called out.

"You there! Have no fear! Could you tell me who graciously provided these healthy beasts for the well being of the town?" He indicated the tethered grazers with a toss of his head. The shutter slammed shut, a few others that had opened un-noticed echoing it. The young witch smirked slightly.

The knight shook his head, tossing his mane, and pricked his ears to the young dragon, addressing it in turn. "Young dragon, no doubt you are hungry after your burdened flight. Or have you already eaten?" Gildy saw the shutter easing cautiously open again, but kept silent. The dragon dipped its head at Sir Roland, showing a bit too much interest in his equine form.

"Oh yes, hungry indeed. Why I have only just awoken you know. The young witch's cat there roused me. Breakfast sounds wonderful." The dragon shifted its gaze to the cow which had tried to kick him, his hunger clear without the glistening bit of drool sneaking down the side of his mouth.

The knight extended a foreleg and bent himself into a neat, sparking equine bow. "Noble young dragon," the knight said loudly--and Gildy saw the shutter open further. "I propose a bargain on behalf of these people and the fair princess. Will you listen?"

The young dragon, tired, hungry, but flattered by the knight's manners, settled on his haunches and preened. Gildy sighed and scooped up Creeper, petting him, listening and musing. Sir Roland made a very handsome horse. It was a shame she'd have to change him back some time. Although, he wasn't so bad looking as a knight either, when she let herself admit it. Young too, only a few years older than her from what he'd told her. She and Creeper stared at each other for a moment and she realized what she'd been thinking. She felt her face flame. _That insufferable, spineless knight? Ha!_ Creeper yawned and stretched in her arms, returning his attention to the scene.

"I will listen, sir knight. What manner of bargain do you propose?"

The wizard, whose shaking had increased, moved back a bit to draw less attention, then settled carefully onto the ground lying down. He sagged with a small sigh, watching. Belatedly, and perhaps with poor timing, the princess suddenly struck a pose at Sir Roland and wailed. "Oh me! Oh help, brave...knight! Wilt thou not save me from this cruel dragon? Oh, help!"

Everyone jumped in surprise. Gildy at least, had sort of forgotten about the princess. She rolled her eyes, then snickered. After all, the princess was aggressively posing at a _horse_. The young witch tugged at her robes slightly, making certain they were straight and smooth. For dignity, of course.

The dragon considered the royal maiden, looking mildly affronted, and muttered to itself. "Well now, did I not just show myself to be _uncruel? _With what has she founded this cruelty?"

The wizard, who had heard, uttered a bitter 'ha!'. The dragon's muttering subsided and Sir Roland continued.

"These people have little in the way of livestock and farmland in this town, and have offered their treasures to protect their families and pacify the great, cruel, and destructive dragon they expected. You have come before us, and rather than immediately ravaging this town, consuming the offerings, or taking the princess--you have proven yourself an intelligent example of your species. You wisely controlled your basic needs and want to determine the situation.

"The bargain I propose is this: In return for sparing this noble town, would you accept a _portion_ of this tribute, with some manner of modest ongoing yearly provision? You might _save_ an entire town with such a merciful act. Their lips would be moved to praise rather than curse you! What think you, oh wise and merciful dragon?" Sir Roland tossed his head proudly, then again made a graceful bow, remaining prostrate as he awaited the dragon's response.

Gildelaine saw a few faces in the half open shutter now, and knew without looking that still more of the people were watching. Waiting for Roland to make a fool of himself, still stunned at his renewed confidence, she waited. If he did something, she wouldn't have to expose her current inability to cast the threatened curse. Letting him play mediator might actually allow her to save face.

So long as no one started to wonder why the powerful wicked witch was letting a knight run the show and failing to thwart a tradional enemy to wicked witches.

"Fools!" The wizard sneered half-heartedly. "This dragon is only a young, weak pup among them. It is no wise and fearsome dragon needing placating! No young dragon would take you up on such a thing and keep its word! No such dragon would be willing to give up more riches than he can _carry_ for a promise of _free food_ through the future!"

Sir Roland rolled an eye at the wizard, his nostrils flaring. He kept silent. The dragon lifted its head and snapped its teeth with a click toward the wizard without real threat. It lifted a claw to its mouth thoughtfully, tilting its head, then rose and moved closer to the arrayed princess and treasure to inspect all that was there. The princess shrank back, glaring at the dragon, then glanced at Sir Roland and sagged into a carefully draped faint.

"Sir knight, because I _am _a dragon of intelligence, I will consider a bargain with this town."

"Great dragon, we thank you for your mercy! If you will but allow, I will summon a spokesperson." Now his voice was _especially _loud--did knights train for that?--and clearly aimed at the houses. "Gentle townsfolk! We request from among you a brave and wise spokesperson, to bargain with this dragon for the well being of your town!"

The group around the princess--who was peeking at the stallion--all turned to watch the houses. The heads pulled back from the shutters, but Gildy could see that they were all left open. Everyone waited patiently. Suddenly a door burst open off to the side and a child streaked out toward another house as though he were being chased by a demon.

Creeper hopped down from the witch's arms and approached the princess. The fainting floozy shut her eyes hastily. He sniffed her nose, tail lashing languidly, then sat studying her for a moment. Her long pale red-gold hair was thrown back from her face. He slowly reached out a paw, then batted at a strand playfully. To her credit, her flinch was minimal. When the kitten had succeeded in covered most of her face with freshly tangled locks, he yawned, stretched, then trotted off to sniff the glittering offerings. The girl's nose twitched, and Gildelaine grinned.

At last a pair of townspeople approached. The shorter of the two strode confidently forward, taking in everything about the scene from the looks of him. The other, a lanky, harried looking woman, followed hastily, talking quickly with frequent hand gestures. She stopped level with the last house, breathing a little heavily, and the man joined the odd group in the clearing around the princess warily. Quietly they exchanged small talk and introductions, the young witch looking on in disbelief. Then the bargaining began with the dragon.

"I have decided it would be _wise _for me to spare your princess, and find another elsewhere."

"WHAT?" The princess dropped all pretense of fainting and glared at the dragon in fury. Then she appeared to realise what she was questioning, and subsided. For apparent lack of a better plan, she feigned another faint. Gildy yawned.

"My apologies, noble dragon, but if part of the tribute were to be returned to us, _she_ would not be...err..." He stumbled, looking around nervously. "Look, this princess is not even one from our kingdom!" He pointed a finger at her accusingly. "She came and _demanded _all those 'tributes' as a part of her attention seeking scheme! She demanded our most valuable items and our best livestock, then proceeded to _chain herself_ here in one of this town's three farms and set about trying to lure a dragon, knight, or prince! She is a foolish mockery of royalty, and I tell you, despite her threats of prison or execution, I will not lie or hide what she did here!"

Taken aback, the dragon looked at a loss for words. "Oh..."

Sir Roland snorted and resumed the bargaining. This went on for some time, voices low, with the dragon becoming increasingly impatient. Frequently he had to be recalled to their discussion from his drooling fixation on the livestock just out of his reach. The temperature began to drop. Gildelaine had long since moved to sit against the wall of the nearest house, from which bread and cheese were shared with her. It was quickly becoming boring. Several of the townspeople were talking in their houses, the subject having passed on, their shutters wide open. Finally the odd group of human, dragon, and stallion knight broke up. Sir Roland and the man walked away, the latter expressing his gratitude for the intervention. They came to a stop next to Gildy, to speak to the small group through the open window who had shared food.

Gildy frowned as fresh meat, a loaf, cheese, and a couple of apples were passed to Sir Roland, shortly followed by a water beaded stein. She looked down at the remaining bit of heel she'd been given. It clearly had come from the knight's loaf. She looked at that stein, and her mouth went dry as though in dramatic appeal to her. _Thirsty._ The man moved away, and suddenly she remembered Sir Roland was currently a _horse _and wouldn't want to eat meat. Right? She looked up at a sudden scream from the princess.

The dragon had approached her and was speaking to her. "How dare you! You lie! The knight came to rescue me! He is my betrothed now! How dare you insinuate he would let me be bargained to you, that he would let _me _become your slave! Help! Brave knight! Oh, the cruel dragon! Save me from his torment!"

Sir Roland's flanks shuddered and he turned to look at the princess. He set the basket of food and stein on the ground carefully so he could speak. "You will go with the dragon. It will take good care of you, and _you will take good care of it,_ in return. There you will have your pick of princes and knights as rescuers, and your plight will be genuine."

Gildy looked at the knight in amazement. He was being so nice...but so _mean _in a nice and just way. It wasn't so different from what _she_ would do. Although she would have added a humiliating curse to finish it all off. The princess sobbed, and the wicked witch, free to do so in private as an observer--felt sorry for her. Hay rustled. Gildelaine looked up to see the wizard, whom she had forgotten, stirring groggily, as though just waking up. No longer was his face a bruise blotched white. It was now a deep pink from the exposure to the sun in a diagonal line across his face, where his hat had failed to protect him. Trust a wizard to be able to hang on to his hat after all that, but not his staff.

He had heard the princess and was beaming broadly. "Well then, I suppose you'll have to leave me here with the knight and witch then. You certainly can't carry _both_ of us, or even one of us and any livestock."

The princess, choking, leapt on that,"That's right! You cannot carry us both! You will have to leave me behind! I'm sure your business with that wizard is much more important!"

"Oh...you're right." The dragon looked between the two, holding the tether of the largest of the livestock as the people began taking back their things. Unable to contain his hunger any longer, the dragon began its meal as soon as the people had removed all but one more of the grazers. The princess remained chained and ignored by them. She looked away in fearful distaste. When it had finished its meal it licked its chops and looked downright jubilant.

"I've got it! I, the wise dragon, have an excellent solution! I shall indeed leave you behind, princess!" The wizard moaned while the princess practically glowed with happiness and relief. "Then, as soon as I have delivered this wizard, I shall return for you! In fact, since it is rescue by a knight or prince you so desire, I shall even allow attempts to rescue you before I return!"

Looking very pleased with itself, the dragon lifted its head and sniffed while the princess wailed in incoherent dismay. "Is there water around here somewhere?" it asked.


	8. Ch8 In Which Karma Rear's its Head

**Chapter 8. In Which Karma Rears Its Head**

Gildy watched as the groups in the houses and streets broke up, the people talking and laughing in relief. Roland stood there with a proud arch of neck, watching them. The bundle of food he'd been given sat on the ground next to her, but the young witch's appetite was gone.

"Gildelaine."

Narrowly, she looked up at his horsy face from the shadow her broad hat cast and stood, brushing off her robes. She tugged them straight and lifted her chin. "Yes, Sir Roland?"

Gildy strode down the road, incensed. Her robes and boots stirred and gathered up dirt to cling and billow in her wake. An errand! He sent _her _on an errand! Not just that, he'd sent her on an errand for the _princess_! Her fury deflated into humiliation, and with it her emotional spurt of energy faded.

The problem was, she could have rightly refused to run the errand for Sir Roland. You just don't order a witch around without consequences, after all--usually. She arranged the water skin and reached for the dipper. Feeling tired. Feeling small. Feeling petty, and maybe guilty. For some reason she also felt nervous. It was like there was some tension in the air no-one else was noticing, some impending drama hanging over their heads.

The young witch straightened and closed the water skin, then pulled her hat brim restlessly. She suddenly felt far too visible. Her hat was too big! Her robes with their gold and violet accents were too much! Maybe it was time to do some magical alterations again, fairy godmother style--or rather, wicked witch style. Brooding, she walked back town the road, turning away from the path to the princess. Might as well take a slightly longer route, she wasn't ready to go back there yet. Grumpily she tugged her hat brim lower, the dark material hiding her face when her head tilted downward.

Gildy jumped at a sudden prick and weight on her shoulder, then smiled briefly. Creeper. At least he was on her side. _Now_ he was anyway. For a split, sullen second she considered shrugging his little traitorous presence off her shoulder. But then guilt attacked her, _again. Go away, guilt! Dragon's teeth, Leave me alone!_ Creeper shifted closer to her neck and started purring. She sighed and did some scratching for him. The young witch kicked a dusty boot at a pile of road apples, sending some scattering with startled flies.

"Hey!"

Surprised out of her brooding, Gildy looked up, then further, in an attempt to see past her lowered hat brim. Unfortunately this strategy only allowed her to see anything level with her nose, but the path under her feet was neglected. Which wouldn't have been a problem if she hadn't still been walking. She went down. Down, and very ungracefully a little to the side. The corner of someone's display table dug painfully into her hip and she groped instinctively for some material as she fell through the last bit of space.

A moment later, amidst angry muttering and some barely restrained shouting, Gildy picked herself up from a mess of slimy squashed vegetables and tomato juice covered cloth. Among other things. Like those relocated road apples you find everywhere. Her face felt as though it were on fire, and as she untangled her robes and stood. Her hand paused at her hat just before uncovering her eyes. _Do I really want to see?_

"I've had it! I've _had _it! First a princess from some other kingdom comes along--and takes our things. Then she tries to lure a _dragon_ into our town, for ravaging! _Then _a witch comes along and does nothing useful, but instead da_mages our goods_ and kicks manure at us! This is too much!"

"Yeah, who says they should be able to treat us like this! Just because they have all the power, and can execute or put _generations_ of curses on us! Boo!"

There was a moment of silence, broken by another vegetable--probably tomato--falling with a splat to the ground next to Gildy. Hopeful, Gildy straightened and cautiously pushed her hat out of her eyes. She had this strong desire to say 'boo'. Looking at the disaster around her, she wished she hadn't. She couldn't decide whether she should disappear or try to re-establish her status.

"Well...the_ horse_ was useful! He got rid of the dragon!"

Disappearing sounded good.

"Sure but that _princess _is still here! Wait...the dragon's still here too."

Someone in the small crowd snorted in disgust and it began to break up. Several people and kids high-tailed it out of the area before the question of 'who's going to take care of this mess' was raised. The keeper of the stall stood staring at her, with hands on her hips. When Gildy made eye contact, the glance was pointedly aimed at the mess of the stall. For a moment she considered ignoring it. _But why? How could I possibly be more humiliated? _

The stall keeper pursed her lips and turned to pick up her table. It was clear the woman had decided to take care of it herself. The young (vegetable and manure decorated) witch hesitated. She could walk away now, but it didn't feel right. Gildy tossed her remaining shreds of pride to the wind and reached out to help with the table, then asked for a broom. When she left the stall shortly afterward she felt curiously re-energized, and couldn't help smiling. She didn't even feel annoyed when Creeper reappeared, all innocence, as she walked back with the refilled bucket for the princess.

Someone had given the princess a broad farmer's hat to shield her already red face from the mid-afternoon sun, and the princess was only a little rude in accepting the water after a hasty thanks. Gildy left her the bucket and walked back to the shade of the cottage where Roland's food bundle still sat. He watched her from the shadows as she approached. Gildy sighed and knocked on the shutter. The housewife looked out at Gildy with a bland expression.

"Thank you for the lunch you gave us earlier. Might there be some cream? Or scraps, for my friend?"

The woman blinked at her and an odd expression crept into her features. She jumped back as Creeper leapt onto the sill, purring loudly and rubbing his head along the frame. Someone in the background said something about black cats and the woman disappeared, quickly bringing a bowl of scraps.

The horse was quiet while they watched Creeper eating on the ground between them. She avoided the knight's eyes and picked tomato seeds off her robes. He said nothing. Why didn't the silence feel more awkward? _Because I don't care. _

Suddenly Sir Roland snorted, causing her to look up. The wizard stood before them on his hands. He looked very much resigned and sulky at the same time. He dropped himself into the shade, short of breath.

"The dragon wants to speak to you."

Seeing he was clearly addressing her, Gildy stood with a glance at Roland. "All right then, come along and show me where he is."

"Can't you _see _him? I just got here, my hands hurt! I'll wait over here with the horse."

The wizard dropped himself to the ground pointedly and showed her a hand. It was red, scraped, and a little bloody. The horse stretched his neck and breathed on the hands, smelling them.

The wizard winced and snatched them back."Stop that! That stings!"

"That was an awful horse-like thing to do, Sir Knight."

Roland rolled an eye at her and kicked at the ground. "You're defending a wizard? I'm getting used to this form. Too used to it perhaps. So. Now looks like a good time, how about turning me back to my own body, please?"

"Err...I'm supposed to go talk to the dragon. I need to do that first, but I'll be back." The witch hurried off.

The directions the wizard gave at her insistence were scarcely needed, but the dragon was out of sight until she rounded a corner. The sun gleamed on its green scales where it stretched out. Go figure. All the other creatures seek the shade in the mid afternoon heat, but the dragon went and sought out an area with no shade whatsoever. The sun on black robes wasn't a pleasant thing on a hot day. Could witches get away with being grouchy or making requests of hospitality of a dragon? She couldn't remember.

"Good afternoon, young dragon. You seem to be enjoying the sun after your negotiations."

"Good afternoon, young witch--and yes I am quite enjoying it! It was so cold during the night! You're probably wondering why I am here instead of on my quest." The young dragon shifted his bulk and stretched out a clawed foot for her inspection. Gildy winced. "As you can see the carrying of the wizard, even by your leash, has caused a problem."

"I'm sorry to see that, it didn't occur to me such a thing might happen."

"Oh I know it wasn't the least bit mean-spirited." It waved the claw dismissively.

Gildy moved closer, borrowing a bit of the shade cast by its bulk. "Shall I do some healing for you, then?"

"Well, yes thank you, that would be nice. However, that's not the only thing preventing me from being about my quest." The dragon tucked its chin in embarrassment. "He's just too heavy for me. I-I'm not big enough yet to carry that much weight for an extended amount of time." It laid its head dejectedly on the ground, crushing wild flowers. "I'm a failure to my king, and to yours."

She looked at the young dragon, feeling its humiliation as clearly as she had felt her own. "Well, it is important we deliver this wizard as soon as possible to the king. Perhaps...perhaps Sir Roland could carry him, and you could accompany him to keep the wizard in check?" She hid a smile as the dragon lifted its head hopefully.

"He would have to remain a horse! Do you think he would mind? That would be wonderful! We could even take the princess along so I don't have to come back for her too!"

"That...that would be nice, but perhaps that might make Sir Roland uncomfortable."

"Knights are perfectly at home around princesses! It's their _goal _in life to protect and rescue them! Marry them even!"

"Precisely."

"Precisely? So how is that a problem?"

"Well, a knight...traveling with a dragon...who holds a princess captive..."

"Oh." Although she'd given him a chance to catch on in between hints he still hadn't gotten it until the end.

"You might not go so far as to leave her chained up outside, that would be a bit cruel. Maybe she could stay in a hut here and...and...work for the townspeople she wronged, on behalf of the wise dragon who is her master?" Gildy smiled beguilingly up at the young dragon. Had she really thought of him as a baby dragon at first?

"Oh! I'll have her work hard and make the people even _more _grateful! A _dragon_ as a hero! Do you suppose they would take good care of her?"

Well maybe in some ways he was still more like a baby. Impressionable. Gullable. Innocent, in short. "Yes, I think they will! They would be pleased to have her doing some work for them! I'm sure they would also respect that she belongs to you, not them. The princess, for that matter, would have something to do and some form of comfort while waiting. Just think, by the time you get back she will actually know how to do some cleaning! The people can start her training for you!"

Finally she might be free of the knight. That would be a great thing, really. The dragon was looking in the direction of the princess. Gildy wondered if she'd over done it.

"Yes! Brilliant idea! Very well then, I shall do that."

"Good, then I'll take care of this foot for you." The young witch, feeling much better about the world, inspected the raw area above the swollen claw. "I will have to get some more herbs from the people and make a poultice to work with the spell, but it shouldn't require too much time."

"Gildelaine...There is one other thing I sort of wondered about, regarding the quest."

"Yes?"

"Well, wizards. The whole reason we're bringing him to the king is he's trespassing and claims to be a part of something bigger or have information, right?"

"Yes, well at least he seems to _think _he's part of something bigger."

"So do you think the king will want to see if he's used any spells in the forest to find out, or what?"

"Well, they'll probably ask the wizard first, and if he doesn't tell they'll take his staff and..."

The dragon watched her as realization dawned. "Oh bother. I was thinking we should separate him from his staff for safety, but..." _So who was it that needed hints to notice important things? The dragon, right! Not the witch, no, not at all. _She sighed.

"You didn't think it through, but that's all right, you could just get the staff. We're not there yet or anything."

"Right..." She imagined Roland's reception to her news of him needing to remain a horse to carry the wizard--and oh by the way she'd need him to run her back to her cottage to go get the staff first. Too bad he couldn't carry it.

She groaned, much to the dragon's interest. _He couldn't carry it, and neither could the dragon! _

Gildy kicked out a little tantrum with heeled boots. She hissed explosively under her breath, her words unintelligible.

"Is that some sort of human dance? I haven't seen that one before. It doesn't really look like you're celebrating though..."

Someday, she was going to be powerful enough to be _rude_ to _dragons_! She looked up with a glare, only to see its large, sharp-toothed face uncomfortably close. The tantrum ended abruptly.

"A dance? Well, uh, I suppose you could say that. Thank you for pointing out the need of the staff. I'll summon it, then we can leave in the morning. But first I'll take care of your claw. Would just a poultice suffice for today? I will need the energy I have for the summoning spell."

"Yes thank you, since I won't need to be using it until tomorrow that would be fine." The dragon settled its bulk comfortably and closed its eyes.

Gildy moved purposefully about the small courtyard. The poultice ingredients had been easy to find for the dragon, it was the ones for the summoning that had taken a little time. A few interested people hovered nearby, ready to scurry back a bit if they were too close, but drifting ever closer.

"Huh. Looks like the witch is actually going to do some spell. Looks like something big." The man stepped back and set a sack down with a metallic clink, pulling his companion with him. Gildy, concentrating, ignored them completely. "Nobody went and made her mad, did they?" He murmurred.

"She's--" His companion lowered his voice to a whisper. "She's just a _kid_, look at her. Who cares if she's mad? Witch or no, she's not even old enough to _marry_." There was a pause as the two men exchanged a glance and appalled snicker. "She hasn't shown sign of much power."

"Do you think that talkin', creepy magicked stallion might be her work though? He seems to answer to her."

The men looked at the young witch doubtfully. Dried tomato and manure still clung to her gaudy robes, but who was going to point that out to a self-styled Wicked Witch? _Especially _a young one.

"Besides, whatever she's doing now don't look like no wart potion."

"She looks awfully rich though, like someone's been paying her to leave off, or curse people or something. That isn't no apprentice robes."

"That's not even proper _robes. _That's one of those fancy getups little girls drool over."

Others passed by, mildly put out by the courtyard being inaccessible. There were excited murmurs circling Gildy as she worked. Rather than finding it distracting, she found her confidence building. She had an _audience. _An admiring, witnessing audience, and she was going to show them how impressive her power could be! Well, to an extent.

She _was _just summoning the wizard's staff, but summoning something magical that was personal property of another--and more possessive--magic user wasn't as simple as it sounded. She would have to make sure they all knew it _was _impressive somehow when her spell was activated. _The Wicked Witch of the Wailing Shadows. _She grinned.

Gildy had forbidden the knight and the wizard to watch. She had insisted the pair went to join the dragon, were a joint effort in restraining the oblivious wizard might be better accomplished. A middle aged woman moved to the front of the crowd, watching Gildy with sharp eyes. None of them knew what Gildy was about to do, but speculation was rampant. The woman folded her arms over her chest and waited until the witch's preparations brought her near.

"Looks like you're about to do some big spell there, young Witch."

Surprised someone was speaking to her directly and interrupting her work, Gildy looked up. It was the woman whose stall she assisted with the clean up for, after she'd made a disaster. The men who'd been speculating earlier shifted away from the woman uncomfortably. The stall keeper ignored them, focusing on Gildy. Their gazes locked for a moment, but neither was unfriendly. The woman gave one brisk nod and continued to watch.

"What manner of spell will it be, then?"

Gildy chewed on her lip in frustration, bending back to her work. She didn't want to tell the people, especially this no-nonsense woman, what it was going to be before she did it. It would ruin any surprise factor, and she liked them mystified. Yet, if she could figure out how to say it, it could increase their interest. Of course, it really wouldn't be good for word of the planned staff summoning to get to the wizard either.

She looked back up at the woman. "It is a matter involving the captive wizard we are taking to the king, but I will say no more than that before the deed is accomplished."

Gildy turned from the woman, pleased with the murmurs and excited movements that rippled through the watchers as she returned to her work.

Shortly afterward the young witch straightened, pressing a hand to her lower back with a wince. She had finished the preparations. She looked around at the crowd, several of them settled comfortably to watch or eating. Her stomach growled. Moving to the center of the courtyard, Gildy looked up at the sky and eyed the position of the sun. She turned in the direction of her cottage and raised her arms theatrically, throwing back her head in a way that nearly dislodged her hat. The arm raising didn't quite reach the affect she wanted, but it was too late now.

She chanted her spell with a well-projected voice and waited intently with eyes fixed in the direction of her cottage. If things worked as she'd planned, they would all soon know something was on the way. Following her eyes, the crowd parted in that direction, slowly clearing a stretch of street.

She could _feel _the entire crowd straining to hear with her. The tension was so high she felt buoyed by it. _This is exhillirating! This is what being a Witch is all about! _At last there were some sharp cracks in the distance. Gildy smiled faintly with satisfaction. Whispers were hushed, people who leaned forward to see getting in the way of those closest to the street--who in turn were clearing wondering if they were too close.

The sharp cracks increased, along with the occasional crash, until the sounds echoed in quick succession. Gildy frowned, unnoticed by the crowd. Her eyes fixed on a building directly in front of her down the street.

_Whih-thack-trink't-t-t. Whack, Swifth! Ttt, ttt...ttt...tt...ttttph..._

In a shower of splinters the wizard's staff hurtled toward them through the wall of the building, glowing. A woman screamed, provoking answering shouts of fear. The people dove for cover, clearing a wider path for the seemingly possessed staff.

_Oops._

She had only a split second after that thought to think of dodging the high speed projectile, before it struck a glancing blow to her temple.

Gildy crumpled.

The staff abruptly fell with a clatter. Silence practically echoed around the courtyard. The unspoken question hung in the thickness of it as they all stared at the young witch, and the staff lying near her. She was just a girl. Suddenly it meant something different. Her face was hidden by her long black hair, and the hat had flown aside from the shock of even that glancing blow.

Finally, the stall keeper cautiously approached a few steps, then looked around at the others.

"Someone fetch the knight."


	9. Ch9 In Which Gildy Was Struck By an Idea

**Chapter 9. ** **In which Gildy was struck by an idea**

After some confusion someone rushed off to find the enchanted knight. The woman kneeled carefully in front of the unmoving young witch, keeping the staff in sight. Carefully she moved the long black hair aside from the girl's face. Gildy was pale, and a small growing puddle under her head confirmed she was hurt.

Another woman pushed forward through the crowd, huffing, and came to kneel next to the girl. The stall keeper moved back respectfully. There was still troubled silence in the courtyard, but the sound of hooves could be heard galloping closer. Only a fool stood in the path of a recklessly galloping stallion, and enough people knew what stallion was in such a hurry to move aside from a street to the east of the one they had watched before.

The wise woman before Gildy straightened, and frowned in the direction of the stallion's scream. He came thundering rapidly around the corner. Bits of flame leapt from Sir Roland's hooves, and his eyes flaring a mad scarlet. Seeing Gildy unmoving in the courtyard, he screamed again and slowed to an abrupt halt that came dangerously close to a heavy fall. A teenage boy scrambled shakily off the stallion's back, his expression excited and terrified at once.

Seeing the wizard's staff where it lay harmlessly on the street just beyond the girl's form, he moved toward it and reared in fury, ready to strike and crush it with fiery hooves.

"No! Don't!"

The wise woman slapped the stallion's flank to turn him from the staff just in time. Dropping to stand on all four feet, Sir Roland slowly turned to glare at the woman with hellish eyes, his flanks heaving and nostrils flaring. The woman took one step back then held her ground.

"I know you for what you are; you would do well to remember for yourself. What kind of fool makes a physical attack, and while enchanted, on a _wizard's staff_? Calm yourself."

The knight stamped a hoof angrily. "_Calm _myse--"

"She's not dead. Or dying." He looked away from the woman to Gildy's crumpled form. Sighs and murmurs rippled through the crowd. Shuffling closer, he blew and sniffed her head. Sir Roland's head snapped up as he looked at them.

"Leave us!"

Startled, the people jostled their way to the streets, avoiding a couple carts that had been left at the side of the road by watchers. Remembering himself, the knight looked up to see the teenage boy who had guided him pushing his way out.

"You, boy!"

Several boys of varying ages, and a couple men, looked back nervously. The stallion dipped his head in a jerky nod. "Thank you."

A grin broke over the boy's face and he dashed off. The two women had taken a closer look at Gildy while he spoke and were waiting for the knight's attention to return.

"She is unconscious and I have no skill with magic, only herbs. The head wound she has suffered was a glancing blow and should mend quickly if she can rest for a while."

"How long?" Roland stared at the blood.

"I don't know yet, we will be able to find out when she wakes."

"She's bleeding a rather large puddle, please do something about it." He said dangerously.

The woman looked up at him sharply. "Are you not a knight? You should be old and experienced enough to know head wounds bleed excessively."

"I also know head wounds that bleed not at all on the outside can still have caused permanent damage inside." He challenged.

She dropped her eyes and pulled a clean cloth out and gently held it to the young witch's head.

Pulling some bitter smelling herbs from a sack she must have carried along unnoticed, she held the cluster under the young witch's nose. Gildy's face remained slack for a moment, and then twisted into a grimace of disgust. She turned her head slightly away, the woman had not removed the herbs, and the movement clearly caused Gildy pain. She opened her eyes slowly as the woman at last returned the herbs to her sack.

The young woman slowly focused on the area around her, holding a hand to her head. She was clearly confused for a moment at the pain and being on the ground. Her eyes found the crowd around her, and her white face suddenly turned a deep red.

"The…staff…" Her head throbbing, she cringed at all the eyes. All the eyes that had been watching her with awe and admiration. Then they all saw her struck by the staff her spell had summoned. She removed her hand from her temple and her stomach turned at the sticky wetness. Groping, she found the cloth that was only have soaked, and held it to her temple. A long black face thrusted itself into view and she pulled back enough for it to resolve itself into a pair of horse nostrils before it withdrew slightly.

"Gildelaine? Are you all right? How many fingers?"

At least Roland hadn't seen her utter humiliation. She wanted to laugh at him, but between her pounding head and the nausea she didn't trust the result. The smell of his horse breath wasn't helping, but large…glowing red horse eyes, were watching her intently.

"Gildy? Gildy! Answer me, won't you?"

"Roland…you idiot…you don't have fingers…"

He pulled his head back a little further, to her relief. "Oh. Right."

"The staff…did it hurt anyone else?"

"The staff! I'll destroy the vile thing! We should have done—"

"No…don't. We will need it, to take it to the king." Could she stop talking yet? She closed her eyes.

"But the thing attacked you!"

"Um…not, exactly." She covered her red face with her arm in a show of repositioning the towel. She peeked out.

"It didn't attack you? Then how…"

"Later, all right?" Mutterings were going around the crowd now, unchecked, they were closing in. They would leave the place behind, but still, it would be best not to let on quite how badly her spell had gone…and could have gone. Roland clearly knew what the result could have been, but he didn't know the how yet. At least she could save some face in front of these people.

And never, _ever _show her face here again…

The woman pushed Roland's head away and reasserted herself to question Gildy, a clean towel in her hand. With a few questions to Gildy, who, red-faced complained of a faint headache and tenderness to her head, it was determined that the girl should at least rest for the evening and in the morning they might leave.

Having settled on the same cottage that had provided food and shade for them near the dragon, the stallion was put to use to carry the young witch. The staff was cautiously wrapped up in a heavy canvas and tied up so it could be carried safely. They helped her mount, then handed the swathed staff up to her. She slumped; face red, on the stallion's back. Sir Roland impatiently started forward.

"Stop _bouncing!" _

_"_I'm not _bouncing, _thank you. I'm walking. Slowly."

"You're bouncing. It's hurting my head. At least _try _to walk more smoothly, please?" She whimpered at a sudden dip.

Pale hands clenched in the stallions mane, she lowered her head to avoid people's eyes. Her hat had been replaced carefully to hide her wound, with a bit of cloth and herbs pressed to it. She was silent for a few minutes while the stallion clearly made an effort to walk more smoothly. Unfortunately, in his unease it had the opposite affect. Her hands gripped the coarse black mane more tightly.

"It wouldn't be so hard to carry you without jostling if I were in my human form." He said defensively, avoiding a dog marking someone's cart on the sly. "Why did the staff--"

"You're going to bring _that_ up, now? I almost just died!"

He broke off and snorted. "You're right, I'm sorry. Forget it, bad timing ok?"

Gildy blinked down at the broad black shoulders in surprise. He'd apologized, that was nice. It made her feel less irritated. She squeezed her eyes shut as the movement of the ground below her suddenly made her insides turn. Why hadn't she realized how far _down _the ground is on a horse like this? Lying forward and wrapping her arms around the horse's neck for security sounded like a great idea.

With the right angle of the head, any results of her nausea would land on the ground. She still had a little pride left though. She desperately wanted to get her mind off the nausea, the ground, and the humiliation. Without hunching over the knight's shoulder in plain sight. Walking would be much worse; she would _have _to pay attention to the ground if she walked.

"Hey Roland."

"Yes Gildy?"

"Uhh, do you mind, you know, carrying the wizard on the way back to the King? Did anyone tell you about that yet?"

"Yes, the dragon told me. Is there a reason we can't buy horses?"

"I...actually don't really have much money you know. I don't usually need it. Do you...?"

"I only ha--Oh. That's right." He groaned, the sound strange from a horse's mouth. "I'd hidden my things at my camp before I sought you out that day in the forest, to avenge the princess. I forgot all about that. _Maybe_ it's still there. Although that would be _there_, not here and so not terribly helpful."

If he had a horse...well she wasn't sure what that would change, it wasn't really nearby. They needed to get the Wizard to the king before he became too much of a problem, or his information became old. That meant no more delays after this one.

"Did you leave a horse there too? Maybe even a squire?"

"No, failing quests doesn't pay well these days."

"Oh..." She felt the word, hovering awkwardly on the tip of her tongue. Strangely it felt contagious. "Um, sorry."

She held her breath and clenched her teeth, waiting for him to make a big deal or taunt her over it. He stayed silent, lifting his head to gaze at someone's basket of apples longingly as she hurried past.

Warily, slowly, she relaxed. She tried closing her eyes to the unruly movement of the ground, but it made things worse. She lifted her gaze to his ears, angled backward, and thought of Creeper. There were probably more mice to catch around here. But he'd abandoned her again while she was hurt. What was going on with him? The knight interrupted her thoughts.

"So, if I'm going to carry the wizard, who is going to carry you?"

"You're assuming I'm going."

Someone slammed a door shut and stalked across the stallion's path, causing a brief halt in the light traffic on the street. They were only something like halfway there. He really _was_ walking slowly for her. "Well, yes. I hope you're going." He said.

Gildy blushed and looked at the horse's mane in confusion. Had she missed something? Where had that come from?

"I'd rather not have to come all the way back to be changed back into my own form, you know. It would be much easier to leave from there."

Was there a prize for idiocy? "Well, you're right. I'm going too. Not so I can change you though, it's to help protect everyone from the wizard, and, well...carry his staff."

When they reached the cottage, Gildy instructed the Goodwife on the making of a tea to soothe her head and soon was asleep.

--

Sir Roland, being nothing but a nuisance to the Goodwife in his current form, went to check on the princess. The wizard was lounging near her, talking intently in a low voice. The princess for her part was leaning forward with a look of wary speculation.

The ground had muffled his hooves, allowing the knight to approach close enough to make out expressions unheard. The stallion's shadow fell across them. The wizard quieted and he drew back slowly with a scowl. The princess straightened haughtily and posed for Sir Roland, although not so enthusiastically as before.

"Sir Knight!"

"Your highness. I'm surprised to find you in such unpleasant company, how did it come about? The wizard," He fixed a glowing red eye on the wizard balefully. "Was supposed to remain with the dragon."

"Oh! Oh dear! I didn't know what to do, here I am chained, and I couldn't go and tell somebody! I didn't know he wasn't supposed to be here though, he brought me...brought me...some water, and I-I thought it was an instruction from...the dragon...Oh, Sir Knight! I hope you don't see my reputation as t-t-tarnished!" A ready tear glistened in the corner of her eye. "Pray, take this horrible wizard away at once!" She pointedly wiped the tear, dipping her burnt face to hide it by fallen tangled hair. The wizard glared and stood laboriously on his hands. She began picking her fingers through the snarls irritably, sniffling for effect.

Roland let the wizard wait for a moment. "Do you not have a comb to untangle your hair, your highness? Has not a girl from the town offered to comb it for you?"

She widened her eyes, lifting them to gaze at the knight imploringly, keeping her eyes fixed on him. She sniffled and shook her head sadly.

"Alas, no. They are too angry with me to offer more help or comfort than you or the beast insist, Sir Knight!"

"I will have the dragon choose and send someone to you then."

"Thank you, Sir Knight." She smiled up at him and smoothed her dusty skirts.

The enchanted stallion led the wizard away muttering to himself about 'Sir Knight' this, and 'Sir Knight' that, his eyes boring poisonously into the horse's legs as he struggled to keep up. A group of kids broke out in laughter, seeing a thin pair of booted ankles over a bow, bobbing along above and behind their view of Roland's side.

The wizard's muttering gained momentum, now shifting to abuse Gildy under his breath. Hearing it, Roland turned and sneezed on him. The big limp bow shuddered under the gust of moist horse breath, and the Wizard's pace faltered. From there on he continued silently.

After delivering the wizard into the chastised dragon's care, Roland returned to check on Gildy. It had taken a while to talk to the dragon and help it find a girl to help take care of the princess. The dragon had been grumpy about it and decided the princess had to choose from being taken care of by a servant until it returned, or just getting by and being able to accept rescue from any princes or knights that might come in their absence.

The dragon was of the opinion that either the witch or the wizard might be persuaded to put up a barrier of some sort to prevent rescue. Gildy was probably still asleep, but it wouldn't hurt to check. And he was hungry.

He slowed a moment to let a girl rush up with a clumsy curtsy. The girl made several nervous attempts to speak, then shook her head, bobbed in a curtsy again, and ran off. He watched her in puzzlement until she turned out of sight. With surprised pleasure Roland found himself looking at the stables, where a pair of boys was unloading some feed from a cart. Dinner could come first; Gildy was probably still asleep anyway...

The young witch woke slowly to the scent of beef soup and fresh bread. Her headache had faded to an afterthought with the help of the tea, and she knew enough to determine she would suffer no further ill effects. She sat up slowly, quietly to keep a moment to herself before being noticed. Sounds of activity were muffled, likely in another room. The evening chill drifted in from an open window with the last of twilight, but warmth from the fireplace seeped into her blanket. With a pleased sigh, she pushed away the blanket and moved to sit with her feet stretched toward the warmth. Light flickered over the gold accents on her robes and caught her eye.

Gildy winced. Her robes were a mess. There were still vegetables and manure crusted on the skirts, with a generous coat of dust from the street. The young witch considered. She felt rested, and it was too late for their party to leave tonight. Roland was probably occupied elsewhere and would return until the morning. She wanted to be clean and impressive in _appearance_ again at least. Gildy proved her health and wakefulness after the nap to the Goodwife and returned to the fireplace with a smile bearing a small towel and warm water.

She cleaned the worst of the grime off, and then took a small wand from her bag. She grimaced at the wand briefly. It was something she tried to hide. It was more of a fairy godmother sort of thing, than a witch. Especially a wicked witch. Yet for the dress altering, there was nothing quite like a wand to do the job. Spells alone were too tedious. She'd gotten rather good at this, and secretly enjoyed it. Sitting close to the fire with her back to the room to hide her use of the wand, she set to work. Gildy hummed with a smile as the wand worked its magic taking the changes and cleaning from her imagination to her skirts. She had to hide the wand and pretend to be picking off dirt a couple times when the soup was checked on, but by the time the soup was pronounced done she had finished her alterations.

Gildy secreted the little wand into a pocket in her robes in case she thought of something else and patted it with satisfaction. A quiet tinkling corresponded with her movement, barely heard over the clattering of dishes, as the table was set. The Goodwife summoned her family to the table and waving Gildy over. They were all waiting for her, and she approached the table with a smile, head held proudly. The Goodwife and her children did a double take. They stared.

"Well now, is that a new gown?"

Before she could answer, there was an odd thumping noise against the door. From the confused glances passed around the table no one was expected. Being the only one standing, Gildy answered the door. Sir Roland stood in the doorway, his neck outstretched to butt his head against the door again. She stepped back quickly. He was still dusty and smelled strongly of horse. She took another step back.

"Good evening! Just thought I might see how you were doing before turning in for the night. You appear to be recovering well and quickly. We'll want to leave early in the morning then, I was able to secure a few sacks for the wizard to sit on, but I was thinking..."

She had been bemused by a long bit of straw bobbing in his mouth as he spoke, clearly un-noticed. A young girl had left the table and was peeking around the witch's skirt with wide, delighted eyes.

"Horz!"

"Oh is that who..." A couple chairs scraped back and two more faces joined them at the door. The teenage boy and a girl who was not quite teen crowded into the doorway. The toddler stood on tiptoe and tried to grab the bit of straw sticking out of Roland's mouth. The boy had a slightly goofy look of pride on his face until he took a closer look at the stallion.

"Hey, uh...you know I work for the stable sometimes when someone is sick, I could give you a bat--a wip--, err help you get cleaned up in the morning before you leave if you like."

"Oh, well that's very nice of you to--"

"Oh, that's a great idea! He's really smelling a bit ripe, and look, his hair is tangled too..."

A _bath! _For the knight! As a horse! Or a wipe down! This was great. She couldn't help grinning at Sir Roland. The toddler snatched again at the bobbing straw and just managed to knock it out.

"Oh! I'll untangle it for you, sir!" The girl volunteered excitedly. Her younger sister squealed.

"Hey, I said _I _was going to clean him up, I don't need my little sis--"

"Mom! He won't let us help!"

"The girls can help; you won't have much time before your chores anyway, Tomm. Now, if that's settled the meal is getting _cold..._"

"Oh, were you all about to eat? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

Sir Roland nodded to everyone and turned away. Gildy leaned against the door watching him go and savoring the moment. There was a tug on her sleeve. The toddler looked up at her and pointed to the table, then fixed her eyes on the little bells Gildy had added to the hem of her belled sleeves. She shook the sleeve to make them jingle, causing the little girl to laugh in delight.

"_Cressa! _To the table with you! It's time to eat."

Embarrassed to realize she was holding them up, the young witch shut the door as her sleeve was released. She sat at the table, next to the elder of the two sisters. They gave thanks and eagerly started on the dinner. Talk moved from the anticipated grooming of Sir Roland, to Gildy's altered robes, then to the other travelers.

Unused to being around so much chatter, and multiple people at once, Gildy was a little relieved when the family left for bed. She sat by the dying fire, wrapping her arms around her knees, and watched the glowing embers in the dark. A portion of the burnt log had fallen off to the side, and appeared to have only a weak glow until more tumbled off and set the whole group alight again. Stretching a hand into the warmth, Gildy reflected on the evening and the emotions throughout the day. It had been a long day, but she was reluctant, despite everything...to see it end.

She was about to leave on a quest, to travel further than she ever had before. She was going to meet the king. She would deliver a wizard she had helped capture, and in the company of a knight and a dragon. The _King_ would acknowledge them all for the great deed. Maybe the wizard's information might even be something important.

It was a good thing she had gotten that staff back, painful as it was. She gingerly touched the lump on her head and sighed. What was that going to do to her reputation as a wicked witch? What would traveling _with _a knight and dragon that weren't her captives _or _evil do to her reputation as a wicked witch? Well, the knight wouldn't be so bad...she'd enchanted him.

Giggles woke the young witch in the morning. She opened her eyes with a readied sleep slackened scowl and blinked in the dim lantern light. Propping herself up on an elbow, she looked at the window in disbelief; it wasn't even _dawn _yet! A freshly scrubbed, pink little face interrupted Gildy's view of the invading day.

"Gilly! 'ess go bruss Horz!" Little Cressa faced Gildy's grouchy scowl with an overpowering cheerfulness.

The teenage witch struggled, determined to be grumpy because she _deserved_ it. Her mood scrabbled for a hold on her as it was forced away. Exasperated and amused, she looked at the little girl. Gildy's face muscles lazily emulated a smile and she allowed herself to dragged up from her pallet, yawning. Since this seemed to be all the action required from Cressa for the time being, she was allowed to finishing waking a little more slowly as Cressa chattered about the horz and played with the bells on Gildy's sleeves. Now that she was awake, her body was making demands.

"Cressa, could you tell me where the potty bucket is?"

"O'r here." Authoritively, Cressa stretched up and hand and led the older girl by a tinkling sleeve to the chamber pot in its hidden corner.

"Oh, thank you." She smiled in dismissal at the little girl. Cressa smiled back up at her happily, unmoving. "Err..." Her bladder felt like a huge liquid stone in her belly. "Don't you want to go talk to your sister about the horse? Maybe she could show you how to _braid _the horse's hair!" _Please, go now, please. _Cressa nodded and smiled happily, then gave her that wide eyed look that is every young creature's best weapon.

"_You _show me! Bray horz hair!"

"Sure Cressa, we'll do that." Roland would kill her, but the little girl would probably forget. Cressa jumped and giggled gleefully, and hugged Gildy's legs, her head smacking into Gildy's belly. Gildy froze in panic. "But first I've got to um, go potty, ok?"

_Don't think about how bad. Don't. Think._

"Ok!" Cressa nodded in understanding, and toyed with the bells on the witch's sleeve. Gildy started frantically jiggling her foot. Oh, _dragon's breath _she needed to go so bad! How could she send the girl away? Bells, she kept playing with the bells.

"Cressa! You know what? I have more of these bells; we can braid them into the horse's hair! Do you want to do that? Good! I need you to find them though, ok? I'm not sure how many more I have, but I hid them in the blankets," She quickly snapped a bell off her free sleeve and tossed it onto the pallet for bait. "See how many you can find for me ok?"

_At last! _The little girl dashed off eagerly and began ferreting through the pallet. A few minutes later Gildy returned to the bed to find the disappointed little girl sulking with a single bell. Feeling guilty, the young witch scrounged in her pouch and came out with a few carved wooden beads. The Goodwife was now moving about the kitchen, and the elder sister coming in from some chore or other. She stood waiting for her little sister, commenting that the horse was clean and ready for them.

Gildy apologized to the little girl for not having more bells and offered the beads, promising some day she would come back with a whole bag of bells for the little girl to use. Mollified, she joined her sister and they ran off at high speed, their mother yelling after them reproachfully. Dawn had broken now, and the light was changing from gray to a pale gold in the room. It was just as well the girls wouldn't be able to do something like braids and bells to Sir Roland. Not only would he be mortified...she pictured it and snickered...but they wouldn't have time for such a thing without delaying the party from their quest.

She accepted some bread from the Goodwife after gathering her things, and thanked the woman for the stay a little shyly, unused to such a thing. The streets were nearly empty at the early hour, and the Witch could stroll down the streets looking for the signs the Goodwife had used for directions, at her leisure. Gildy stopped in the middle of an intersection and scanned the streets for her next turn.

She had just spotted the inn when a door burst open in an alley along side it. Raised voices caught her attention, although she couldn't make out the words. The witch moved closer, curious. A familiar blond woman was sneering at another girl. Although Gildy couldn't see the front of the blond, it was clearly the princess.

"You stupid little peasant!" She snarled. "How can you not get it? You _will _do what I tell you if you don't want those things to happen, _and _things like _this!"_ The witch backed away quickly as the princess started to turn around. There was a scream and thud immediately followed by a splash. The princess laughed.

"You see? You'll learn, that's only the beginning. Just think how much worse the dragon might be."

A sobbing girl came running out in a cloud of steam. She dashed out the alley, past Gildy, and turned another corner. The witch carefully evaded the doorway's line of sight, then pursued, coming to a halt in another alley. The girl was kicking garbage around with angry tears, and glared at the young witch when she intruded. Her eyes fixed on the broad brimmed witch's hat.

"You! It's all your fault!"

Mystified, the teen gave the other girl a look of disbelief. "Excuse me? Do you know who you're talking to?" Here she had come, to be _nice _and it was being thrown in her face. How could anyone not recognize her? Gildy lifted her chin and took a few steps closer. Doubt flickered over the other girl's face.

"You're the witch. The one with the horse and the dragon, right? _You're _the ones who decided the princess should stay _here _so people have to be her _slave_!"

"I'm the _Wicked Witch, _Gildy hissed. Are you _asking _for one of my curses? It sure sounds like it!"

The other girl, who appeared to be the same age as Gildy, slumped against a wall and looked away. "Sure, go ahead and curse me. Can't be worse than it already is! You _would _curse the wrong person too!"

"What do you mean the wrong person?"

"That horrible princess! You people! Whose horrible idea was it to have the _horrible _dragon's slave princess stay here and make people like _me _miserable! She's going to _ruin my life! _Because some horrible person talked to _my _parents about a girl needed to help the princess--who is supposed to be the one doing the work! She just goes around _threatening _people and talking about killing her dragon master, and _manipulating _people!"

"What are you talking about? Threats? Killing?" The tirade had caused the laundress to pace and go about kicking garbage again. The witch watched the laundress warily as she toed a rotten meat pie.

"That awful princess had the _nerve _to insist I go run out or pay for posters to find a knight or a prince to rescue her as soon as possible and help her kill the dragon, _and _do all her chores! My parents! They think it's a _good _idea for me to be her slave because it gives me '_status' _and some work. They think I'm making up all the threats the princess has already used, and I just started last night!"

Suddenly she whirled back toward Gildy and got in her face. "Just, _take her away. _Take her with you; dump her in the dragon's cave or something!" She stilled, and looked at Gildy pleadingly. "_P__lease?_"

The sudden appeal caught her with a bit of a surprise, especially with the approach that had looked as though meant to intimidate. The other girl watched the witch a moment, and visibly calmed, taking a step back. "The dragon is your friend right? And the idea was you were all trying to help us with that negotiation, right? Can't I be included in that help? Won't you at least _think _about taking her with you?"

Gildy nodded slowly. "I'll _think_ about it." She turned away, leaving the girl in the alley, and went back to the inn. Rather than using the laundry entrance she went in through the main room. At a table off to the side, the wizard, contorted, was attempting to eat his breakfast. His eyes glittered balefully at her as she entered. He looked away from her and concentrated on his fork, where a running bit of egg was suspended. His neck quivering with the effort, he tried to get the bit of egg to his mouth. Just before it got there, his shaking dislodged it and caused it to slide down the side of his face and onto his robe, joining evidence of multiple failed attempts.

The wizard slammed the fork down and lay on his side, rubbing his neck. His eyes bored into Gildy. "How am I supposed to travel like this, child witch? Did you think of that? How am I going to eat? I can't _swallow _upside down! I can't use the _pot _upside down!"

Already irritated and unnerved by the laundress and princess thing, she fumed at the wizard. Because he was right and this was not a time when she wanted another problem she'd caused rubbed in her face. Luckily the room was empty but for them. Gildy bit her lip. If she couldn't control herself, no one would be left uncursed today! So much for the cheerful morning.

"Don't you realize you're wasting your time with me? You should be leaving me behind! Let the dragon take off with his princess instead! _She _would probably love to go with all of you!"

"You are coming with us, regardless of anything you have to say! You're our captive and lucky I didn't make you the dragon's permanent toy!" Gildy spat.

The wizard's face twisted in a sneer. "You know, the only consolation about being dragged along with you all, is picturing you all at my mercy when my colleagues—"

"Don't bother with that drabble. We both know it's a lie!" Gildy shouted with contempt.

The wizard, watching her closely, smiled slightly. "Is it? You just keep hoping that's right, little witch! Even if you were right, the look on your face when the king and queen ask you why you made such a fuss over useless information, the _scorn _and _mocking _you will face will all be worth seeing!"

"Seeing? Seeing? You poor old delusional wizard! The only thing you'll be seeing after giving your information is a close up of a mop! Even if your information turned out to be totally useless, Cimorene would at least appreciate having another invading wizard to melt!"

While the wizard spluttered, Gildy, stalked quickly out of the main room, toward the laundry, her robes rustling and jingling. A small part of her was wary of approaching the princess in such a mood, but she was rearing for it now. She felt as though her steps left sparks like the enchantment caused Roland's hooves to do. She billowed into the laundry, the steam rushing away from her and framing her in the doorway.

Laundry lay all over the floor of the large room, some of it clearly wet and still dirty. A puddle of dark bluing spread over the floor, bleeding into the piles of laundry. A white washed wall bore heavy splattering from floor to ceiling. Gentle splashing broke the silence, and the witch looked through parting steam to see the princess lounging in the huge wash tub in the center of the room.

"What do you think you're doing in there?"

"Bathing of course, baby witch. _Princesses _try to stay clean you know, it doesn't do to stink like a peasant. Go fetch someone to wash my back, it needs washing."

"Where are the other laundresses?"

"I don't _want _the laundresses; they were getting my water dirty and making too much noise. Besides, they're too rough for back washing. Where is my maid? Send her? She needs to clean up this mess too."

Gildy watched the princess in scorn and crossed her arms over her chest. "You are exactly the reason why I can't _stand _you young royals these days! Arrogant, selfish, vain, obsessed, and _stupid!_"

"Oh, _please! _As if you have anything to say, child witch! Arrogant? Yes, that's you. Witches are _better _than everyone else, after all! Selfish! Ha! As if you really care about anyone else's feelings, you're just _obsessed _with cursing people you think are below you because you think it makes you look powerful, and that appeals to your _vanity! _Talk about stupid!" The princess smiled venomously.

"But maybe we could work together, baby witch. I might let you curse mosquitoes for me! For now, just go and get someone to scrub my back, and make me a new dress. Maybe the same woman who made your new dress so quickly, to appease your vanity. Although of course, being a princess she will have to apply much more skill and attention to my dress."

A few minutes later, Gildy re-entered the main room of the inn with a smile of wicked satisfaction. She glanced at the wizard, who shut his mouth at her expression.

"Come, its time to leave."

Surprisingly obedient, the wizard stood on his hands, bits of food falling from his robes to the floor. He followed her through the streets until they reached the dragon. The dragon greeted them cheerfully, oblivious to the dark glee of Gildy's mood and the wizard's uncharacteristic silence.

"Where is Sir Roland?" Gildy asked. She was impatient now to be away from this place.

"Oh, he's over there, talking to the girls. You'll see. He's trying to convince them to—"

"Gilly!" Cressa ran from the shadows to Gildy happily. The sun bounced in her unruly hair playfully, and Gildy found herself smiling, the dark mood lightening slightly. "We braid horz hair! With Bells!"

Hearing the declaration from the shadows, the stallion snorted, and then reluctantly came out, coaxed by Cressa's older sister, who was fawning over him.

Gildy and the wizard stared, and then collapsed in laughter. True to her word, Cressa and her sister and braided Sir Roland's hair. Somewhere they had found old ribbons and bells, and attached each to every braid he bore in mane and tail. One thick braid lay across his forehead, bearing both Gildy's bell, and another matching the rest of the bells. Cressa joined the laughter with her bubbly child's voice, not clearly understanding it. Her sister's cheeks turned a little pink, and she looked at the knight in confusion.

They made Sir Roland go back into the shadows, out of sight, so Gildy could maintain her composure long enough to change the enchantment on the wizard, allowing him to be upright with different bodily restrictions. With the enchantment complete, and feeling immensely cheered, they bid the little family farewell and set off in the cool morning air. Gildy hummed to the tempo of the bells jingling from her robes and Sir Roland's hair. He turned and gave her a pained, pleading look

"Gildy…Come on now, aren't we friends? Please take them all out!"

The dark haired witch grinned at the enchanted knight. "You know I can't do that, Roland."

"Why not?"

"Because now we match!"


	10. Ch10

10. In Which Rumors Fly

"Creeper!"

Gildy bent down to scoop up her companion happily. After a moment the party continued forward, idly listening to the scolding. They were travelling at a fast pace, and although it had already been an eventful day, they were all eager for a distraction from the mid afternoon's heat.

Gildy blotted sweat from her forehead and grinned at Creeper's commentary on the stallion's bells. Reluctantly that amusement too had worn off, and the heat dragged her spirits back down. The dragon began circling restlessly, alternately flying away completely and returning to ask why they couldn't go faster.

"Look, you can fly, and Roland is a horse. The wizard gets to ride "

"Bareback!"

"But I happen to be walking with little choice in the matter. It's hot and I don't get to have a nice cool breeze in my face to counter that. So I would appreciate it if you would stop complaining." She didn't even look at the dragon, the sun was bright enough without looking right into it. Suddenly there was a whirlwind of dust, small pebbles and debris flying into her face and whipping her skirts. Creeper yowled and leapt off her shoulders, while she covered her eyes and desperately tried not to choke on the dust. An attack? Wizard? Gildy slid one hand into her pocket to touch her little wand.

"Sir Roland! What is that? Where is it coming from?"

"Err " He mumbled unintelligibly.

Suddenly it stopped. Cautiously Gildy lowered her arm and peered around her. The wizard's face was split into a wide grin and Roland abruptly resumed on the path at a trot.

"Come on Gildy, we shouldn't waste time."

"But what was that? Was it just a dust devil? Are you sure it's gone? What if it was a spell?" She peered warily around her and Creeper hopped back on to her shoulder to wash his face. The only movement other than themselves was the dragon's shadow sliding over the path. Realizing the stallion hadn't answered she jogged forward to look at him. He was fine and his eyes were fixed on the path in front of them.

"You haven't answered my question."

"Actually I did, but don't worry about it, it wasn't an enemy, lets just move along."

The wizard snickered, "I can tell you what it "

"Sorry, Gildy."

"What?" She adjusted her hat brim and looked up at the abashed dragon.

"I was just trying to make a breeze to cool you off, I thought it would help."

"Ha! A breeze! Obviously he was trying to make more than a breeze to "

"Be quiet Ankle Bow." The wizard sputtered into silence and Sir Roland's words.

"I really was trying to help!"

The wizard was watching her intently. Gildy looked back down and shrugged, dusting her skirts. "It's all right, Dragon." That was all she was going to say about it, really. She wouldn't say what she wanted to.

"Do you by any chance have some kind of spell that can bring cattle or deer or something close by? I'm hungry."

"Uhh I don't think I "

"Why don't you go ahead and hunt , then catch up to us. We'll eat while we walk."

The young witch eyed the equine face and clear lack of hands dubiously, but pulled a cheese and fresh meat sandwich for herself and the wizard out of her pack on Roland's back.

"Sir Roland, how do you intend to eat?" She handed the smaller sandwich to the wizard and walked briskly to draw even with his head. He glanced at her briefly.

"I'm not hungry yet, I'll eat later."

"We've been travelling since an hour or so past dawn. It's already mid afternoon. Are you sure? I thought horses have to eat pretty often."

"Perhaps it might be good if we can find a stream or creek, I don't think the little bowl the goodwife gave me to drink from is going to work. We can all eat there perhaps."

"Good. Dragon? Are you still around?" She grabbed the wizard's sandwich out of his hands just as he was about to take a second ravenous bite and returned it with hers into the pack.

"Hey! Do you have any idea how hungry I am?"

"I haven't left to hunt yet, why do you ask? Can I have the wizard instead? Then the knight wouldn't be tired."

"Do you think you could scout for the nearest water source for us before you hunt, then meet us there when you're through?"

"I can. The water isn't far from here if I remember correctly. I will return quickly."

They continued forward at a more relaxed pace until the dragon returned. It turned out the nearest water source was just a short distance ahead. A small group of people were already there watering a couple horses. Upon seeing them, a harassed looking man drew a sword and moved in front of the gangly youth who had yet failed to notice them. Creeper's claws pricked her shoulders as he hissed at the strangers. She could feel his tail lashing her neck and shoulder.

Gildy turned toward the sound of a splash as a man who may have been a servant dashed across the shallow stream to the other side. Irritated, the youth looked up and blanched. Tearing his eyes from the flaming eyes of the stallion he considered the water and the other bank, clearly agonizing over whether or not to wet his clothes. The armed man watched nervously, shifting his grip on his sword.

She was just trying to decide whether to be amused, gratified, or annoyed to the response to their travelling party when a grumbling voice overhead drew close.

"I jest not, I have flown a wide area all around you, and there isn't a single snack in sight! This enchanted forest is not being very friendly, to keep a dragon hungry!" The dragon back-winged and started to land next to the witch, "I am so hungry I could eat five whole Oh! Two would work for now! Can I eat those?" The tethered horses had starting to buck and pull at their tethers in terror, drawing the hungry adolescent predator's attention.

Sir Roland moved in front of the dragon, the wizard moving away so far he should have fallen if not for the spell.

"Dragon, considering my present state of affairs I have to confess I am offended at your viewing fine equine mounts as your next meal."

"Oh, right, well you're different, you don't smell or quite look like a real horse you know, and a dragon has to e "

"He smells like five horses from here!" The wizard threw in, watching the strangers from his lowered hat.

The man with the sword chose that moment to lunge for the dragon's underarm with a disturbing look of skill. The enchanted stallion reared thrashing flaming hooves, and screamed in warning. The dragon lifted its forearm abruptly, but the momentum of the man's thrust was clearly such that instead the dragon had to stumble and half roll away on it's side.

Seeing this put the dragon in an even more vulnerable position, the equine knight lunged into the man's path. The mounted wizard yelled in protest at the approaching attacker. Surprised, the armed man looked up at the fiery eyed stallion for only an instant, then quickly withdrew. He put his back to his horses and considered the wizard mounted stallion defending the dragon.

"Dragon, are you quite all right?" Gildelaine deemed it safe enough to move forward for the moment, one hand gripping her wand in her pocket. This wasn't the time to worry about hiding the embarrassing tool if it was needed. She rested a hand on the dragon's forearm and inspected it. At that moment the wizard started laughing hysterically. Creeper purred against her neck in amusement.

The stranger was sprawled on the ground wearing a flush fueled by the mocking laughter. The horse he had tried to mount was straining from it's tether nervously as far from the man and dragon as possible. The man slapped the ground in frustration and jumped back up, grabbing for the reigns.

"Pardon me, but I hardly think that is necessary. We hadn't any intention of attacking you, you know. If you would sheathe your sword I think we should get along well enough." Gildy moved forward to stand next to Roland,

"That's true, we're more interested in the water than fighting strangers for no reason."

"Ha! A demon-spelled stallion for a mount, a Dragon, a wizard?, and girl Witch show up and I shouldn't mind!"

"That's right, although, Sir Roland's enchantment is not actually quite demon class." Gildy was smiling and patted knight's flank to reassure the man.

"Speaking of mounts, the two you have are quite fine no don't worry we don't mean to take them!"

The man kept his hand on his sword hilt suspiciously, "I used to think they were fine, but after today I think his High we might be better off with disciplined cattle."

The gangly young man watched the exchange calmly, studying each of them, then lightly clapped his hands. "Ah! That was really quite entertaining! What good fortune to meet a pretty young Witch, a dragon, and a stallion. It's all true about our mounts. Now if we had impressive stallions like yours, it would be a different matter. Sadly we do not. Despite their breeding and training we don't really get dragons in our kingdom so I suppose the real thing was pretty shock "

He looked at his guard's grip on his arm, then slightly inclined his head to Gildy. "It seems we need some further verbal confirmation that you intend us no harm."

"Oh? Well surely a truly evil steed " feeling a bit giddy, she inched closer to Sir Roland, "wouldn't wear these?" She picked up a couple braids with their bells and jingled them for emphasis.

The stallion's head jerked up in protest.

"You didn't you just how could you?" Sir Roland muttered to her in wounded tones, his ears flattened. Gildy felt a twinge of guilt but looked at the strangers with a smile.

The youth smiled at her, and she realized with a blush that he was perhaps only a year or two older than her. Really, despite some heavy eyebrows and his awkwardness he was rather handsome. Gildy dipped her head slightly in greeting, straightening her hat quickly. She petted the velvety equine neck nervously. Sir Roland moved slightly in front of Gildy and snorted softly.

"Certainly we won't attack, but we will defend if necessary. Could we possibly continue this conversation after a bit of a drink?"

"Does all that enchanted fire make you thirsty, horse?"

"Oh pretty horses like him get thirsty all the time anyway, young one." The wizard, certainly the worst for wear of the party smiled mockingly at the youth. Everyone around her tensed in affront. Sir Roland arched his neck, his eyes flaring.

"Take care, baggage, unless you want extra help in dismounting."

Gildy decided it would be a good time to dissolve some of the tension, so she tucked the concealed wizard's staff under her arm and dodged a draconic sneeze to approach the gangly stranger with a smile. Creeper shifted on her shoulder.

"I'm not sure the enchantment should be the cause of great thirst. We have been travelling all morning you see. I am very much looking forward to some cool water myself.

The armed man moved smoothly to his companion's side, eyeing the covered staff under Gildy's arm then the empty handed wizard. He shot a warning look at the boy, touching his elbow. The young witch sighed under her breath and stepped away, seeing to the satisfaction of her thirst and directing the dragon's enthusiastic assistance of helping the wizard from the knight's back.

Sir Roland drank downstream quietly. Feeling refreshed, she sat on the bank and watched Creeper do the same, ear's turned toward the dragon's approach. The little black cat ran off through the grasses and wildflowers to do his own hunting.

"Pardon me, sir knight, but there is something of a problem involving the wizard."

Gildy turned around, "What is it dragon? I'll deal with it, let Roland rest."

"Ah, well in this case I don't think that would be appropriate."

The stallion eyed the dragon for a moment then shook himself off and walked away with the hovering creature. Watching, them the witch was wondering how tiring that hovering was for the creature when the boy appeared at her side.

"Have you satisfied your thirst?"

She looked up , quickly wiping away a stray drip from her mouth and nodded at the drenched man dubiously approaching across the stream.

"I have indeed. Wasn't that man there with you when we had arrived?"

"Yes he was, and considering the manner in which he left I am puzzled as to why he assumes to come back."

She arched a brow at him. Although he said it while genuinely smiling at her, his voice was cold and clearly had an affect on the man approaching, who immediately dropped to his knees midstream with a splash.

"Your highness! Forgive me if you thought poorly of my flight! I was going to get help for you, I thought surely you would follow, seeing that your guard wouldn't be able to do naught but slow them down a bit!"

"Well some of that is true at least. Well, you have just proved yourself tiresome once more. Go and finish your task then, or renew it as need be."

"Highness?" Gildy looked at him.

"I thought so." The stallion re-joined them at the bank, stepping between her and the prince. She moved around behind Roland to reposition herself in the middle again, annoyed. The knight slapped his tail against his flank irritably and turned to face them.

The prince grinned at Gildy and made a slight bow, "Prince Jacques Arthur Wenderlich IV, Prince Jax to one of your power. Yes, I'm afraid you have discovered me so there is no reason to continue the pretence. In fact I think I prefer to cease it in an unreasonable way as well."

The young witch curtsied very slightly, her cheeks pinking when the insufferable horse snorted at her. She turned with a smile and rummaged randomly through one of the packs at her feet. Creeper returned with an energetic stride and leapt smoothly up to her shoulder. She reached to pull him off her shoulder and touched her nose to his, walking away from the others. Creeper dangled from her hands purring in satisfaction and she settled against a tree to favor him with scratches and discuss his hunting prowess quietly.

Roland and the prince began talking pleasantries and moved away from the stream to join the servant and guard. The wizard sat among them with one hand clasped to one of his bound ankles, although he appeared almost happy as he ate his sandwich with one hand. Her eyes moved back to the handsome Jax as he laughed.

Gildy sighed in disappointment and took a bite out of her sandwich. A prince. She stroked Creeper's warm fur in her lap as he napped. She had thought she could like him, but a prince? She bit off more of her sandwich. She was a Wicked Witch. Her luck really had turned sour lately. She should make a special curse just for him, all the foolish princes and princesses deserved a special curse, and needed one to inspire them to mature and learn valuable lessons but her heart just wasn't in it for Prince Jax.

When she had left the stream the others settled into a ring eating their luncheons. Sir Roland was unenthusiastically consuming his feed while listening to the others talk of their traveling. Gildy handed Sir Roland an apple from the pack and sat next to him with the sleeping kitten curled up in the crook of her arm. The prince was looking back down the path the way they had come.

" I knew something was wrong when she wouldn't stay home. Earlier she told me she was tired of dancing and wondered whether if her slippers were no longer replaced and new gowns provided for each night, she might be forced to return home. I mentioned to the servants she had tired of dancing and desired no more slippers, and that father would pay for no more gowns or slippers. But when night came, she was sneaking out again, with a pair of some other girl's slippers and yet another's gown.

"She had this strange look in her eyes and would only say she was going dancing with her friends no matter what she or I said about it so I might as well return home. So I did, but it bothered me ever since. Then a week ago I went back to try again, and the place was completely empty. It looked as though it had been untouched for years. All the guests were gone, all the servants, and the family who were hosting them."

By this time the knight had devoured his apple and was in a more charitable mood.

"Well don't be too disheartened. The dancing princess scheme isn't used very often for a good reason, it tends to be pretty simple to solve, so the organizer has to wait long enough for most people to forget how it goes. There also is seldom any harm done to them other than weariness from all the dancing and slippers worn through each night. Although new gowns each night? That is new and a high expense indeed. They seem to enjoy themselves. It could even be entirely voluntary too you know, some people do enjoy dancing that much, especially the girls. For the romance, or some foolishness."

The prince and his guard exchanged a look. "Well the thing is my sister never really much cared for dancing. I mean, when she was asked to go she thought it was all right. She always showed more interest in the partners and people she met than the dancing and as much time as she could do politely off the floor."

"Well then this may be another opportunity to meet people. People will go through all kinds of discomfort for the sake of meeting people or even someone in particular. By the by, how old is your sister?" Sir Roland looked at Prince Jax. Gildy couldn't help grinning at that question coming from a horse.

"Well she wouldn't be pleased to know I told you, so please don't mention it, but she is recently turned nineteen your age I would guess?"

"Actually I'm afraid I'm yet a couple years older. I've, ah, been doing a lot of questing. Perhaps she really is spending so much time then for the sake of making a match."

The guard frowned and the prince shrugged. "It could well be, but still it is unlike her to leave us uninformed. She used to enjoy letters and they had dwindled but still she kept us informed of the general goings on. There was no such letter about an impending move and no-one left behind for inquiry."

"There is more reason than that for the Prince's concern." The guard spoke up and continued at the Prince's nod, "We heard rumors of all the princesses and princes neglecting their kingdoms and proper quests to dance and party all night each night. When her highness had written it sounded as though there were only about five or so other guests of royal blood while the others who joined them each night were other local gentle folk and their guests. Five or so shouldn't bring about the concern we heard in the local people.

"Now since then we have heard others further from there remarking on the greatly reduced numbers of young royalty and knights questing. We have of course been trying to find information or indication of where the hosts and all the royal guests have gone, but when we could only find talk of disappearances his highness thought perhaps a large number of them had decided to try their luck in the Enchanted Forest."

Prince Jax nodded and looked at Gildy, "It has always been the best place for a meaningful and magical quest. None could enter the Enchanted Forest and fail to discover a quest, or in a maiden's case to become a victim of a formidable captor. Although because there are so many magical obstacles and persecutors, many choose an easier or more local quest. The more ambitious choose the enchanted forest."

Here Sir Roland sighed and gently swished his tail. "Oh yes, in the Enchanted forest you would find the most beautiful and determined princesses, while they in turn knew they would be rescued only by the most determined heroes."

Gildy snorted in amusement, drawing two offended male stares.

"Really, you two have gotten so caught up in how wonderful and challenging questing is. Personally I have encountered such a number of irresponsible, selfish, vain, clumsy, and weak hearted 'heroes' and 'damsels' it's a wonder they aren't outlawed here for the safety of the locals!" The Prince and his guard stared at her in surprise and Roland dropped his head.

"Gildy!"

His highness just looked at her thoughtfully. "Is that really how everyone else see's us? I suppose that is how we are before the end of a quest or a successful rescue."

Relieved, the enchanted knight sighed again. "It's true, although I would like to think we aren't all like that when we first set out. I know I couldn't have been among the worst and you don't seem to be in that class either. Everyone pays more attention to the change afterward than what the person changed from."

"Even then! Why some of them come here and if you but met them you could not say they had a good or determined quality about them for that of a ruler or hero! They enter the edges and pretend to be victims or heroes or worthy princes in hopes of getting it over with quickly and returning home to the luxury with riches and in the company of beauty or brawn as the case may be. Most of them don't deserve to rule. There are more loyal, sensible, and kind peasants and servants out there than royalty without the work of a quest or rescue to accomplish it!"

"Ahem!" The guard stood and brushed crumbs off his clothing. "As entertaining as this conversation may be there are only so many more hours of light, your highness had wanted to achieve a greater distance before stopping for the night, did you not Prince Jax?"

"I did indeed." He stood with flushed cheeks and inclined his head to the napping wizard, the stallion, and the witch. "It was a pleasure to share this respite with such diverting company but Dan is correct, we need to press on."

With that the guard and servant started resaddling the mounts. Gildy looked longingly at the horses. Noticing the look the Prince hesitated then surveyed their party again.

"Where is the dragon?"

"Oh I imagine he is still hunting, but he should be finished soon. I-I didn't mean to offend you, your Highness." Gildy rose quickly, accidently dumping the napping Creeper from her lap and curtsied, embarrassed under his gaze. She looked up to see him looking thoughtfully from the wizard to Roland, then his eyes returned to her and he nodded in acknowledgement.

"You were honest and I believe you did not address your marks as personal against myself or the knight. It is different to hear a witch's view of our adventuring, it's true. So then, where are you all traveling to? I suppose the wizard will walk this time so the witch might ride her enchanted knight?"

The young witch hid her embarrassment and annoyance at the reminder she would have to continue with walking by picking up the offended Creeper. He wouldn't look at her for a moment, but when she pressed a sigh into his fur to hide her face he relented and licked her cheek with a rough tongue.

"I'm afraid Gildy will have to continue to walk. We have discovered the dragon is not old and strong enough to carry the wizard, who cannot be trusted to have freedom enough to walk." The man in question woke with a start and attempted to sit up, but failed with Gildy's spell requiring one hand to be clasped about his bound ankle. "It is important that he remains our captive until we can put in King Mendenbar's hands, and he must remain separated from his staff, which only Gildy can carry."

Gildy blinked in sudden fear and groped around for the staff, her heart slowing it's frantic pace when she found it. The enchanted stallion rested his head lightly on her other shoulder when she stood. She petted the velvety nose absently, while Creeper watched with narrowed eyes.

"I see. I have heard that King Mendenbar can easily discover anything happening in his forest, is that true?"

"Well certainly, although with his responsibilities and family he can't spend all his time searching for potential problems like the one this wizard is involved it. Once he is aware of a potential problem though he can obtain the information from all over the forest or look for himself if he chooses. That is what will likely happen when we get this captive to him."

Realizing they needed to be resuming their own journey Gildy was tying the sack's that served as a saddle blanket for Roland's benefit and the packs onto his back. This accomplished she looked and the wizard and put her hands on her hips, looking around for the dragon. She couldn't take the risk of untying his ankles and changing the spell without the dragon's quelling influence.

Meanwhile the Prince's guard and servant stood waiting for him. Prince Jax looked at them and back to Gildy, then Roland. With relief she saw the Dragon approaching.

"Well then! I think the practical thing for all of us would be to keep company to the King's castle. Clearly he would best be able to help us determine if my sister and the others have been moved into this forest or if more information is to be had. Of course because we shall be travelling together," Gildy saw the guard, Dan, shake his head slightly at the Prince's back with a wry smile, "the young witch might share my mount if she would condescend to ride with a prince."

She winced, but smiled and curtsied willingly. "If your highness would bear my company I would be relieved by the chance to ride rather than walk. For our part we should arrive at the castle in much better time with such an arrangement and could sooner be rid of this wizard and return to our prospective homes."

Sir Roland had taken his head from her shoulder when she spoke and was fidgeting. He stamped with a sparking hoof, then snorted, his ears swiveling back and forth. The prince was watching him with interest and Gildy motioned the dragon over.

"You may want to hold your horses while we get the wizard in place, I need the dragon's help in doing so since the knight is not in a position to do it."

"Wait a moment and my servant or guard will do that for you "

"Pardon me Prince Jax," Roland said quietly, "but I'm afraid we cannot take the chance. The dragon's particular influence would be more effective and safe while Gildy changes spells. He is a wizard after all." The prince looked a little annoyed but after a moment nodded and motioned his men to remove the horses a short distance.

"I wonder if the dragon's presence would create a problem with us travelling together after all."

"Well, it cou "

"Not really," Gildy quickly interrupted the knight, "It flies overhead, and the little it spends in close proximity would no doubt help your mounts to receive some experience the travelling with dragons. I'm afraid they are frequent visitors to our forest. Ever since our Queen joined us and acquainted His Majesty with the King of dragons. It would be best if they experience the more passive presence of a dragon like this for a while first."

The dragon had landed, listening to the end of her comment and nodded it's huge head in agreement. But he muttered quietly to Roland, "I suppose that means I definitely won't get to eat them later either then?"

"Yes dragon, it does. Could you perhaps remember what I mentioned earlier about my present circumstance and feelings about such comments?" He said quietly. The already agitated Roland struck the ground sharply with a hoof, ears back. The whites of his eyes showed the equine fear he was experiencing.

l

"Sorry."

When Gildy and the dragon had settled and bound the wizard on the enchanted Stallion's back Prince Jax's guard helped Gildy mount in front of the Prince and they resumed their journey initially at a trot to allow the horses to warm up. She sat awkwardly and very self-consciously in front of the Prince, thankful she at least was able to face away from him. Creeper however was not permitted to sit on her shoulder because it would put him in the Prince's face. Surprisingly Roland attempted to defend Creeper's usual position, but to no end. Instead he laid in the crook of Gildy's arm.

The tension finally seemed to dissolve and she was even able to enjoy the ride. The air was finally beginning to cool and the idea of removing her hat to better feel the breeze was tempting. It didn't seem like a good idea right now though, her calm was better centered in remembering she was a wicked witch than a girl no, young woman. She smiled faintly to herself. After all despite her apparent youth she was actually 17 now. People were more impressed by strong magic coming from someone who seemed just a couple years younger. Strong magic. Or at least, the appearance of it. She started to slide her hand into her pocked and in so doing elbowed Prince Jax in the stomach. He uttered a quiet oof and she apologized.

"That's all right, at least it got you to s " The strong wind announcing the dragon's proximity and their mount's reaction forced the prince to break off.

"Hey Sir Roland there was talk of a group of princesses passing the town ahead when I was hunting. Do you think I might find a better one there?"

I'm sorry it took so long for the next chapter to come out, I really had thought I was back on a roll when I posted the last one. Now then, this chapter is only lightly edited so sorry about any typos or redundant adjectives. Once I go back and try to edit either nothing new gets done or too much editing gets done. So I'm posting it first and will do more editing afterword. My sister beta read this chapter before it was completely finished and took it upon herself to add something in. With her agreement and for your amusement (we were both laughing) I have included it. She felt it should be placed right after it was determined Gildy would ride with Prince Jax:

Roland continually snorts with annoyance as Gildy is unable to restrain her constant curtsying at her every sight of Prince Jax. Roland made a plan to aim his sparks at Prince Jax or maybe offer the Dragon an evening meal perhaps

As they continued to journey, Gildy had Creeper listen to Roland's thoughts, his snorting was getting on her nerves. Creeper obliged with pleasure: Roland amused himself of forms that Prince Jax could be turned into, ones that Gildy would be less obliged to curtsy to. A fly would be appropriate, he wouldn't be able to achieve Roland's previous angles, unless perhaps they involved a fly swatter or window Roland's thoughts of Prince Jax Torture, he liked his new title for his thoughts, and continued as quickly as Gildy's "Your Highnessing" to Prince Jax increased. 


	11. Ch11 In Which Gildy Meets the Whittler

Chapter 11. In Which Gildy Meets the Whittler

"What's that? A group of princesses?" Gildy almost jumped at the voice so close behind her. He had spoken much more softly before the dragon interrupted.

"Princesses! Just what Prince Jax needs, he may not need to come all the way to the castle with us after all. Tell us about this group you heard of, if you please, dragon!" The knight was suddenly prancing quite prettily, but Gildy was certain he wouldn't appreciate the compliment and kept it to herself.

"Well there was a small group if fighters from the next inn the princesses were supposed to luncheon at on the way, or some such thing. They didn't show up, so their replacement guards are out looking all over for them, and they're sure it's wizards. Wizards always do bad things before they're eaten. It makes eating them particularily satisfying, you know?" The Dragon eyed the wizard on Roland's back, "Sir Knight, couldn't the King and Queen get all the information they need from his staff? I could rid us of him now for you, surely you're tired of carrying him." The beast flapped his wings excitedly, peering closer at the wizard, then rubbed a rumbling stomach. "Just think Sir Roland, I could carry him for you! No more burden, and you wouldn't have to stay a horse!"

Gildy shook her head at the Dragon, "I think the King and Queen might be disappointed if you got to have all the fun-and stop thinking about horse, I see that look in your eye! Roland is not a horse! Er, not really a horse, behave!"

The prince spoke up, tightening his hold around Gildy's waist and prodding his steed to a brisk trot, "Well really perhaps they wouldn't mind so much as long as they have the information." The wizard watched the dragon warily and listened in silence.

The young witch, with her face slightly pink, cleared her throat. "You haven't heard about Telemain yet have you?"

"No but it sounds like perhaps I had better. But wait, better yet, why don't you run ahead Roland? We will go see about the princesses and you can go drop off the wizard. The two of us riding double are likely slowing you down."

"No."

"Why not? It seems like the most efficient idea to me, what do you think, young Witch?"

"Oh, well-it probably would-"

"There you see? Go on then, waste no time!" Gildy looked over her shoulder at the pleased sound in the prince's voice and scowled.

"I was about to say it probably would be best if the wizard and staff," she held the swathed burden up, "arrive at the castle at the same time."

Prince Jax sighed and slowed his horse to a more moderate trot, 'I see, there is reason in that." He ignored the stallion's snort.

"Feed me to the dragon but don't separate me from my staff again!" Sir Roland's head jerked in surprise when the wizard spoke up.

"You see even the snack agrees!"

"Dragon, do you truly want such an unpleasant thing as that staff in the bargain? I wonder if there is such a thing as Infinite Sneezing from eating a staff along with a wizard?" Sir Roland had flattened his ears slightly and kept his eyes on the path ahead.

The wizard peered from under the brim of his beaten hat at each of the travellers, "Don't do it to me without my staff! A staff is a wizard's life! I don't care what you do as long as my staff is with me! Ah! No! Don't eat me!"

The dragon's wings beat a punishing wind as he abruptly regained his height after a feigned toothy snap at the wizard. Sir Roland shuddered and increased his pace with a nervous laugh. Gildy cautiously lowered her arm from her eyes to watch the dragon wheel gleefully above them. The Prince was laughing and coughing at the same time.

"A nice prank! The look on the wizard's face! Ah how I miss such things with my friends!" He chuckle-coughed again, making Gildy think of a goose's honk gone awry. "Gildy, it is no wonder a powerful girl like you has chosen such a path in life, it must be full of excitement. Surely you enjoy casting curses too, and have done many?"

"Well perhaps not many, but several certainly..." Gildy lowered her eyes to their mount's mane and plucked at the wrapping on the staff.

"Truly a Wicked witch must have an exciting life! What curses have you devised so far for the deserving? Do tell!"

Gildy blushed and looked at the path ahead uncertainly. It was a little uncomfortable but exciting to hear other's talking about something you had accomplished, but to talk about them herself? She would prefer showing...Her hands on the staff reminded her that showing didn't always turn out right when you're trying to impress someone. She winced and lifted a hand to her head where the bump had been.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" Jax leaned forward and awkwardly tried to peer under the brim of her hat to see her head where her fingers pressed.

"Oh! No, I was only remembering something but thank you."

"Ah good! Now then don't leave this poor Prince waiting to hear of those curses in vain! Come now, Gildy the Great! Favor me with your tales!"

"Very well, but I'm afraid they aren't so exciting as you appear to believe."

"I am in your debt! Now then, let's hear them in order!"

Gildy saw the wizard look over his shoulder at them as Roland suddenly increased his pace, his ears indicating displeasure.

"Great idea!" The wizard said to the knight ingratiatingly, "We'll be there in no time! You see, the _Prince was right_, wasn't he? Yes, yes. Very tactful of you too, certainly, giving those two lovebirds some space. I have _no_ wish to hear their lovesick jibberish, and who knows how bad it might become? You might go even faster, it might get worse at any moment-ah-ha! They're looking into eachother's eyes!" Sir Roland came to an abrupt stop and the wizard held his injured nose in silent agony.

Gildy's face was pink from the wizard's words. She glared balefully at his back.

"Gildy? Tell me you have not changed your mind?" Prince Jax touched a finger to one of the hands she was clenching on her lap.

"Oh! No I haven't. Well then, the first would have to be the Two-Faced Princess with Two Left Feet. I was at a birthday ball and there was a number of nobles and young royals of near ages enjoying the festivities. Or rather, trying to. One princess was a flawless dancer, and she knew it. When the music started, eyes turned expectantly to her to watch her first steps. If they didn't remain on her they were sure to return at some half-glimpsed example of grace. You might think there is nothing wrong with a dancer who is pleasing to watch at a ball, but this one believed no other girl should be permitted to 'try' to dance, and nor should most of the boys.

"During all her graceful, timely movements she would make snide remarks, loudly, about every dancer around her including her own partner. None were spared but herself. I presumed to tell her during the breif rest for the musicians, that surely her friends must dance well from her example or perhaps she could help them improve." Gildy stared into the space before her as the party moved along, listening expectantly. Creeper suddenly caught up with them and launched himself into her lap, where he curled up contentedly. The young witch didn't even notice. Sir Roland had turned an unblinking fiery stare upon her, his ears shifting uncertainly.

"She said, 'Friends! There are none here worth calling friends, only pretentious little clingers who want to share my glory. Not one would I _ever_ call a friend in truth!' 'Surely that can't be so,' I said in surprise, 'you seem to have quite a friend in the brunette girl in the surcoated pale yellow, you both appear to get along famously! Also in the-' 'You're quite wrong.' she told me. And in the coldest of tones too! '_That_ girl is a liar and has done horrible things, I don't see how anyone who knew could bear to be around her!' We drank our punch in a heavy silence while I digested this surprise, and you can imagine my shock when that very brunette came up with the brightest of friendly smiles to the dancing princess. She was greeted with warm smile and a cry of 'My dearest friend! Come sit with me for a moment!' I was so shocked I choked on my punch and that cold princess glanced at me with a curl of her lip, then linked arms with the brunette girl, leading her away.

"I had resolved to try and enjoy the dancing regardless and was feeling quite pleased with the results of my lessons and the company of my partner when I was slyly tripped by the slippered foot of that same princess when we passed nearby. Immediately she loudly proclaimed me a clumsy, awkward cow in the middle of the dance floor. So intense was her delivery of the insult-provoked by her own or intentional clumsiness-and my embarrassment that I left the dance floor for the remainder of the evening. By the time a few more dances had passed I observed her warm greeting of three other girls then sneers at their backs as they parted unaware. When one girl happened to glance back in time to catch that sneer and then was abused loudly in the same fashion as I had been on the floor she left in tears and my anger was at its peak.

"So I cursed her, she would from that day have two faces side by side to show both her true nature and her false one, and have two left feet so there would no longer be grace or vanity about her dancing."

Gildy absently stroked Creeper's fur, the muffled steps on the path lulling. She looked down at him and saw in surpised a faint pattern in his coat, highlighted by the angle of the sun. His sleek black coat was suddenly a warm reddish-brown-black color with a combination of leopard spots and stripes. She held a hand over him and in the shadow his coat was the normal sleek black. She rumpled the silky fur slightly, then looked up to see Roland was staring at her with his ears pricked and tail animated. He twitched his ears then returned his gaze to the road before them silently.

"Well then, I imagine that must have created quite a scene in front of all those people! I should like to see how the magic set two faces side by side someday! So then, what was the next?" She jumped slightly at the broken silence and glanced over her shoulder at Jax. It was a pleasure to move on from the painful memory.

"The next one was the Forgetable Prince Fabian."

"Oh that one sounds interesting." The Prince shiftly slightly in the saddle, readjusting his arms around her waist. The rings joining the reins jingled faintly.

Sir Roland spoke up, "I don't think I've heard about this curse, at least not that I remember."

The wizard snickered, "Perhaps it has something to do with this Prince being 'Forgetable', horse!"

Gildy launched into her next tale before tempers rose, summarising a bit more on this one as she began to realize how very personal her first curses were. She hoped that wouldn't occur to her companions. She recalled the stallion's fiery stare a little uncomfortably, but as she continued talking she felt she could trust Roland. Perhaps it was his silence with his response.

The young witch had only neared the end of the fourth curse tale when the town came into sight. All of them showed varied levels of pleasure at the arrival. Prince Jax dropped the reins in Gildy's lap and stretched his arms up high behind her, causing their poor mount a moment of confusion. Sir Roland actually slowed his walk just slightly. The dragon flew ahead the short distance and landed there to spare them the whirlwind. Creeper arched and stretched with and impressive yawn in Gildy's lap, tangling his feet in the reins for a moment before giving himself a vigorous shake and jumping down. Gildy looked ahead eagerly.

The wizard..."Ah! At last! Civilization again! A bed! Real food!"

"First things first," Sir Roland said, "you, wizard will stay outside of the town guarded by the dragon while we look into these rumors about the captive princesses." By this time they were in hearing distance of the dragon, it nodded in acceptance.

"Just one request if I may, Sir Knight. You see, I'm rather hungry. Could you perhaps watch the wizard long enough for me to go hunt? I saw a herd of promising deer nearby, I shouldn't be long."

"Very well then, that is probably best in case we need to move on again tonight. The rest of us might have to eat on the move."

The Prince groaned loudly, earning him a red glare. Gildy for one, was in full sympathy with Prince Jax.

"It would seem you have forgotten the urgency of finding your sister, or perhaps it is no longer very important to you, Prince Jax?" Sir Roland glanced at Gildy and struck sparks with a hoof. The wizard laughed.

The dragon left to hunt, and the absent Creeper had no doubt left with the intention of doing the same. The knight grazed with an eye on the wizard, who was sprawled on the ground, bound by another improvised spell. There had been a delay while Prince Jax had to escort the old man out of sight, but then the young royal and Gildy had quickly entered the town to begin investigating the rumors.

Gildy made an escape into the first tavern in her proposed route for releif and a snack. Prince Jax had insisted her route include the most populated areas for safety. She chuckled quietly as she bit into the bun she had bought with a few of her silver bells and left the inn without further news on the rumors. As if a wicked witch couldn't take care of herself! She had been doing it for years, ever since...she looked down at the slightly burnt role, then shrugged off the memory and looked for her next place to inquire, the stables next to the tavern. Unlike most this one was independent from the tavern because it was just before the market street began. She finished the bun and brushed off the crumbs.

She had only just located a stablehand who seemed inclined to gossip when the Prince came rushing in. "Gildy! Come quickly! I have news!"

"Already? Well that's good. Thank you." The man made a respectful motion and watched them leave.

"Well then, what news?" The Prince's eyes were bright with excitement and his very presence was like a magnet to everyone nearby She felt people stir around her to look at the handsome Prince.

"The rumors were just that...apparently those princesses had been expected at an inn on a particular route but without advising anyone they chose to take a different route, one proposed as a shortcut. They were located safely at another inn along that route and impatient with their change of guards for having taken so long to find them."

Gildy rolled her eyes."Well then, is there more news? Why are you so excited? Did someone know something about your sister?"

"No, no-one knows anything about her, but now we have an evening to rest and I am hoping you will not deny a self-proclaimed admirer of your magic a couple examples of your work in person!" She glanced up at the sky at the mention of evening and saw it was late afternoon but hardly evening yet.

"Oh...You want me to curse people for you?" She looked at him oddly.

"Only deserving ones! There's a few in every town, and then I will show my thanks with buying you a dinner from the best inn or tavern they have here, if you will only agree." He pleaded excitedly with his eyes and she couldn't help comparing him to an excited puppy.

"Well, all right" He seized her hand and kissed it, "but only on the deserving!" She blushed as he smiled in excitement and pulled her into the street before she withdrew her hand.

"Now then, shall we look for more troubled areas or wait for trouble to come upon us?" As he voiced this second idea his gaze rose to the prominent witch's hat. "I think perhaps we shall have to look for the more troublesome areas."

Gildy strode out of the dirty, cramped alley to leave the equally filthy little square behind, annoyed. The prince followed in her wake laughing a little uneasily.

"A truth spell! You put a long time on that one too, two years!"

He shook his head and looked over his shoulder with what could have been sympathy. Gildy came to an abrupt halt and faced him with hands on her hips.

"That boy was one of the worst kinds of liars! He lied to everyone, hurt them all, but none as much as himself!"

"So I heard, young Witch. I wouldn't be surprised if your curse of speaking only truth makes him into a mute! Clearly he deserved it though!" He smiled and rushed forward, catching her hand.

Gildy allowed herself to be pulled along and tried to shake off her mood. It was hardly an original curse and she couldn't help feeling as though it would be disappointing to the prince. After hearing the trouble the boy's lies had been causing though, and witnessing someone being hurt by them it stirred an old anger. Jax certainly hadn't been expected to feel sympathy for the guy! If that had anything to say about his own honesty or lack thereof...

"Young Witch of beauty!" He tugged at her hand, the heavy compliment dragging her attention fully toward him. She extracted her hand. "It sound's like a fight or argument over this way, let's go quickly!" The prince smiled excitedly.

There were indeed loud voices, two calling out mockingly and the other seemed restricted to loud weeping. A small group of boys and girls about her own age seemed to be seperated into two groups behind some stables. The larger group clustered uneasily behind a pair of twins, their beauty was clearly felt. They faced a pair of girls and a youth who had to be a stable boy from the hay and state of his boots. The girls huddled together, the younger of the two crying.

"Sally sow! Thank you for hiding your ugly pig face! I avoided the pig sties just because of creatures like you, I don't want to see you in public!"

The handsome stableboy, standing in front of pair of girls, glared and seethed. The insults continued, alternating between the twins. The group of young people behind them laughed mockingly. The elder of the two girls being insulted simply averted her face and tried to calm her younger companion. Tears rolled down her face.

The witch and prince stopped in the background for a moment to take in the scene. Young Jax scowled at the twins un-noticed, and quietly asserted his vote of the twins deserving a curse. Gildy frowned and tried to get a closer look at the averted faces of the two girls. Mortified already, they were hiding themselves as much as possible. It was best to know just what the bullies were focusing on to give them an appropriate curse. Gildy quietly slide her hand into her pocket and prepared a small bit of magic to create an illusion of dull colored, worn cloth for her dress.

"Hold this." She shoved her tall black witch's hat into Prince Jax's astonished hands and dashed over to the threesome with her face carefully averted from the twins. The stableboy jumped in surprise at the sudden approach, arms spread in front of the girls, but Gildy smiled and held a finger to her lips before ducking past him to the girls. She whispered with them for a moment.

"Oh, is that another one? Must be! Like is drawn to like! Someone should clean this mess of our streets!" The girl twin made a face, and the twins laughed.

Gildy turned her head of tangled black hair to look at the twins and they crowed in mirth and dismay at the profusion of puckered pimples on her face. Gildy stood there silently for a few minutes as the twins moved their cruel attentions to her. Prince Jax winced in reluctant admiration at the illusion. The pimples alternated between angry red and bulging white tipped blemishes. The twins had actually moved a step back in disgust.

"It must be contagious!"

Confused, the stableboy glanced at the young witch. His eyes widened in disbelief at the change. Gildy smiled and looked at the young prince, holding out her hand. Prince Jax grinned and moved to the front of the small crowd, handing Gildy her hat with a bow as the illusion fell from her. There was a breif stunned silence.

"Perhaps it is contagious, unfortunately for you." Gildy raised her hands dramatically and placed her hat on her head, then pointed at the twins with glittering eyes. "You've taunted and tormented far more than playful spite so; red puckering, white centered, failing acheivement of humility and kindness unhindered by sight, this blight will be unfailingly marked by all within sight through two years, less two nights."

Gildy lowered her hand with a smile of satisfaction. The girls behind her gasped and the stableboy laughed. The twins, nervous, exchanged a glance-and screamed. The group behind them who had joined for amusement as much as safety, broke out in amazement. The twins stared at eachother in horror, knowing their own face must look like the pimple covered one they themselves wore.

"My, my. I see I had better watch my tongue around you, Young Witch! Those pigish noses were quite a touch too it all. I feel like washing my face! Come!"

He led the way to the market area, it was larger than she thought to see for the town's size. The prince explained it was a matter of the town's location at crossroads, and thus there were two inns and other businesses catering to travellers. She hadn't been this far from home...yes from home, since, well for a few years. She eagerly took in the contents of the stalls and in some cases blankets with wares spread. The prince pulled her away from the hot stuffed bun's stall promising her a dinner she would want room for and guided her to a stall with hair ornaments. The bright colored enamels and polished metals drew Gildy's eye immediately. She pored over the array, to the pleasure of the woman behind it. Immediately the woman started pointing out combs, hairsticks, and jewelled pins that would compliment hair or eyes or dress. The woman answered questions about the enamel's wear, and crafting of the peices while Gildy narrowed down her preference. She had just narrowed her choices down to a trio of brilliant green and blue dragonflies and lilies on a matched pair of combs, and a couple large hair pins with amethyst ornaments bearing little silver bells, when she remembered she didn't have any money with her.

Smothering a small sigh she asked the stall keeper if all items were one of a kind or if more of the same were often made. Assured similar could be made a request with description and that they usually had a stall in the market she moved on. She paused when she saw the Prince's interest in some well made tack, belts, saddlebags, pouches, and hats at a larger stall. The faint scent of cured leather and spices applied to soften the remaining scent permeated the stall. Prince Jax laughed, fingering some fine black tack with ruby and silver ornaments. Gildy was busy looking among the hats. The selection really was quite poor, there wasn't a single decent all weather witch hat among them. Quickly losing interest and seeing her companion's interest seemed to have become idle, she moved along.

They reached the very end of the cluster of stalls an blankets and stopped in front of a whittler's blanket. Gildy crouched to take a closer look with interest. After a moment Prince Jax tucked a package under his arm and did the same with a low whistle. Every carving was unique, and so realistic, so full of expression they could have been living before wood. She reached out cautiously to touch one and see if there was any feeling of magic about them, relieved to find none.

The man sitting behind the forest of carved creatures, shifted self consciously on his blanket as they questioned him. Yes, he carved them all himself. No he never made duplicates, just what felt right and what he saw in the wood for each one. When Gildy asked if he often had his carvings in the market for sale so she might come back at another time, he swallowed and hesitantly.

"Next couple days may be the last I put them out, there's other things that have to be done for a living."

"Surely your craft is work and living enough to keep bringing these out!"

"Thank you, young mis-Witch, but my mum thnks not and always talks about how most people don't buy them-oh dear." He hanged his head and sighed.

"I can't understand why most people wouldn't buy them, perhaps you should try selling them in the city or to a city merchant." Prince Jax said as he reached out to pick up a mischevious looking ferret reaching into a basket. The whittler hesitated, then shrugged.

"Well, they don't here, I don't know why. Since I'm the man of the house, mum is always worried about her an' my younger brother and sisters having a living. No girl would want to marry a man who can't make a living, she say's. She said I can't keep going on whittling my life away, and with so few selling I guess she is right."

Gildy looked at the figures, perplexed at his lack of success. She saw he kept one hand on carving of a gryffon playing in a fountain, it's delight so clear she found herself smiling at the creature. Prince Jax replaced the ferret.

"Will you store these then until a city market or festival to sell? Perhaps they would sell better then."

The man looked down at the gryffon and then off to the side, "No, she made me promise that if by the end of the week they weren't selling well and showing more promise I would give or-give them away so I wouldn't be tempted at the sight of them to make more."

"_All_ of them? Give or what? Surely not destroy?"

Gildy scowled as the man nodded miserably. She looked at the gryffon again, then again at all the others. The figure of a wise looking noble woman had a kind, knowing smile on her face as she played a lute, surrounded by animals. Gildy couldn't help feeling as though the woman were alive, looking at her expectantly.

"Whittler, will you trust me? I think I can help you." She lifted her eyes intently to the man, and felt the prince's curiousity without even looking at him. The whittler looked at the prominent Witch's hat, and the Prince, studied her face, all in a moment. He looked down at all his carvings, so life-like that they must mean much to him. He nodded and looked back up warily.

" My name is Edmund, and I would like your help, but please without any kind of slavery or promises of a life or such."

Prince Jax grinned and Gildy's cheeks flushed. "No such thing will be required of you, in fact I don't intend to require anything of you-or your family present or future."

He smiled for the first time and relaxed slightly, "Then, please, kind Witch," he gestured to his precious carvings. Gildy slid a hand into her pocket and concentrated quietly for a moment, before using her other hand to touch first heart, head, then eyes, then mouth, and ears of each carving intently. Her lips moved silently throughout. When she had touched the last carving, she blew on them gently.

"Oy! Watch the wind! You need some mint leaf! Shall I find some for you?"

She felt and heard them release their breath with gratifying gasps. A little pixie shook herself and leapt off a carved leaf to hover, humming bird-like above the other carvings. A splash drew their attention from the pixie to the gryffon under Edmund's hand, and even gildy was little surprised at the sight of what appeard to be liquified, transparent wood-water in the fountain splashing as the gryffon played. The gryffon stopped with all the sudden attention and looked curiously at each of them, angling his head to focus with one raptor eye at a time. The whittler cleared his throat.

"Do they...will they all talk?" He pulled his eyes away from the gryffon for a quick glance at the rest.

"No, as you can see, they are not all showing signs of life. The spell will bring each carving to life once it has met it's true owner, and will remain alive at least as long as the new owner. They will all talk if they all meet their owner, and have the personalities you implied with your carving."

The gryffon was playing again, splashing water-wood that dripped outside the fountain but never seemed to reduce the amount inside it. Tears of joy poor in Edmund's eyes as he head out a hand to the gryffon.

"Well, sure, but do you mind if I finish my bath first?" The gryffon looked at the whittler questioningly, elicting a chuckle from the watchers.

"I will try to keep in touch with you, so that when you have carved more the same spell can be applied to them as well."

The man looked in in surprise, "You mean you'll do this for me again? Without price or promise of something? This is more than worth a great cost, please...if...if there's anything I can do to thank you."

The young witch smiled wryly, "The only thing I would ask, is if I might pick one for my friends and I."

"That's all? Please! Please do!"

No sooner had he spoken than the pixie landed on Prince Jax's shoulder and tugged on a lock of his hair. He yelped and awkwardly looked at his visitor. "Looks like you're stuck with me, Prince!" He blinked at her, then Gildy and the whittler.

"The ones that came to life only would have done so if one of us were the true owners, looks like they know who it is, that's certainly useful. Edmund, we have a lot of travelling to do and your living carvings will be travelling with us, so many people will see them. Including Their Majesties of the Enchanged Forest."

The whittler neared choked in his excitement and disbelief at his good fortune. The pixie jumped off Jax's shoulder to wrap her little arms around the carved leaf she had been sitting on and with effort slowly brought it off the ground and up to Jax's shouler.

"Pardon, miss, but I'm not sure my shoulder is the best place for your seat." She looked up at him consideringly, then with a decisive nod carried it up further and settled it triumphantly in the middle of his hair.

Gildy and the whittler laughed, causing the gryffon to cease his bathing, ruff fluffed, and laugh along.

"Really, that place certainly won't do!" Prince Jax gently snatched leaf and pixie from the top of his head and looked at them. " We'll have to work something out for you, but your leaf while we're moving around will have to go in a bag, or pouch, or maybe somehow on the saddle." He frowned slightly, "Hmm I don't think saddle will work, because the young witch will be there and there won't be room for it." The little five inch pixie stomped her foot and stuck her tongue out at Gildy.

"Move along now, no time to stop and play, come along, come along!" They looked down to see the noblewoman carving, lute hung over her back, herding the small animals that had been sitting around her, and carrying her stump with only a little huffing for the effort. They made a bee line for Gildy. Just as she though, the woman _had_ been looking at her, but that was before the magic wasn't it? Made aware of accomadations by Jax's pixie, she took off her hat and pouch, setting them down gently and looked at the small group of carvings thoughtfully. The motherly looking noblewoman was seven inches tall and the birds, rabbit, fox, and two squirrels proportionate to her. "Hmmm, I think with Creeper the safest place for all of you would be on my hat brim."

"Yes, and no bad thing for a witch to be seen with living carvings roaming on her hat brim either. Might even increase your reputation, hmm?" The woman winked and settled herself on the front of the hat brim, the animals clustering around her.

"I'll put the stump in my pouch for now then."

"Were there others you wanted carvings for? You said friends."

They looked up at Edmund and she nodded, considering the carvings and personality. One of the tallest carvings was of a twelve inch strong but kind looking princess, and not lacking in beauty. She looked at the Prince.

"What do you think? The tall princess for the Dragon?" Jax nodded in agreement and they considered the others. The stall owners were breaking up their stalls around them in the twilight, and Gildy chose a wise looking ten inche peregrine carving for Sir Roland quickly, then say goodnight to Edmund as he gently gathered the rest of the carvings and stowed them safely in backs, the gryffon balancing with the aid of it's wings on his shoulder throughout.

Prince Jax excused himself for a moment and rushed (with protesting pixie clinging to his hair) to the leather worker's booth as he was packing the last of his wares away. There was a breif debate before Prince Jax returned please and holding up a large pouch, leading rein, and girdle.

"Look! For the dragon to carry it's princess around it's neck."

"Perfect! The dragon will be delighted."

"Really, the top of the head is the best place." The pixie said smugly from the Prince's hair. He rolled his eyes and plucked her off his head and set her on his shoulder.

"I must say I find it rather nice, but the motion takes some getting used too. Still this young lady has a pretty smooth gait so far." Gildy felt the woman shift slightly on the hat brim and was thankful she had thought to use a spell to allow for the unbalance weight on it's brim.

Prince Jax took Gildy's hand and pulled her along, having stowed his purchases, Come, let's go find that dinner I promised you!"

His expression was admiring and excited as he led the way to an inn and reviewed the small curses she had done, and the spell on the carvings. She had refused to do anything too powerful since they would be finding rooms in town and didn't wish to be chased out. She felt lighter and happier with each step, she had provided justice against a couple youthful bullies and trouble makers, and there would be a few less people burdened with undeserved misery for a while. Prince Jax was excited still, speculating over how powerful she was going to be-no, must already be. At last they entered a common room with a warm assault of savory air and music drawing them in. The room was not full but close to it, with half the patrons dancing in front of the musicians on their small recessed stage and the fire.


	12. Ch12 In Which There is Much Ado

Ch. 12 In Which There is Much Ado About the Witch's Slipper

Prince Jax bowed gracefully to her as they paused in the entryway of the inn's common room. "I asked around and discovered this inn to be the better of the two for dancing and food the last time I was in this town, I found the reccomendations to be well deserved."

Gildy smiled at the assortment of villagers, merchants and guards, as they maneuvered through the tables. The Prince led her to an empty table and pulled out the small bench "Allow me," he said, pulling it out with a broad grin. Before she had even started to sit he was collapsing into the one across from it. Scooting the little bench back close to the table was a bit awkward with her long skirts so she moved it only a little closer. She smiled wryly at Jax's relaxed, confident posture, and reminded herself that he _was_ after all, a Prince.

"Well now, there are minstrels here tonight with a few dancers. Would you like to dance with me first or dine first, lovely young Witch?"

She looked around the room again considering. While it was lively, it wasn't as full as it had first seemed. Patron's who were leaning across tables to speak with neighbors, and circulating the room had given space a fuller feel. Many of the patrons seemed to share the same kind of pleasant bouyance she was feeling. There was two couples dancing. A young couple and a gray haired man coaching a little girl as she concentrated on keeping her small feet on top of his, her small fists holding to his fingers.

"I think for the moment at least, I would like to sit and watch. It would be more pleasant to dance before dining I think , after I have rested my feet."

"Quite so! Forgive me, I forgot you had spent much of the day walking before we were discovered." A tired but cheerful woman bustled up to them and the Prince gave her a charming smile. "For the time being we would be pleased to have some cool cider, if you have some from the orchard I saw near the town?"

"Yes we do, young Prince, although it is quickly consumed the trees are very fruitful and the supply will last. Do you want bread and soup, maybe some cheese also, to enjoy with the cider?" She smiled at the Prince, then Gildy. Suddenly she was staring in astonishment at Gildy's hat. The woman's expression became guarded even as Gildy smiled broadly back.

"Tsk tsk," The noblewoman's voice rose from the Witch's hat, "you appear to be working quite hard, mistress! Do not fear, this young Witch is quite the good sort you know. She doesn't curse the undeserving. You seem to have little help here, do you not have a husband running the inn? He ought to find you more help."

The woman lowered her eyes and looked at Gildy and the Prince uncertainly. The Princes loose curls shifted and the pixie jumped up. "Boo!"

"Oh!" The poor woman jumped as the pixie giggled and Prince Jax chuckled.

"I'm sorry they have startled you, they meant no harm." Gildy lifted her eyes to look at the underside of her hat brim at the carving's voice again, clearly heard as the minstrels finished a song.

"My you are talkative, aren't you?" She reached up and carefully picked up the carved woman from her hat brim and set her on the table. The little woman smiled up at the server. Gildy looked also and saw tear's in the woman's eyes. Startled, she invited the woman to sit.

"Thank you, kind Witch but I can't, I have work to do," her face was red as she responded.

"Surely you have some help here though? Why don't you sit for a moment and rest?" With wooden hands placed on carved hips the noblewoman firmly pointed to a bench while the Prince and Witch watched in amusement.

"No I cannot, there is just myself and the cook running this inn right now since my husband was killed in a hunting accident, and she has her hands quite full. Now then, I'll bring you that cool cider in but a moment." There was a moment's hesitation as she looked from the carvings to the humans. "How…how many ciders should I bring?"

The Prince spoke up for the first time, "I'm sorry to hear of your loss mistress, I remember your husband well from the last time I visited your inn. For the present two ciders will suffice, we will dine here after some dancing as the young Witch wishes."

"Thank you, your highness, I will be back shortly with the cider." She curtsied and bustled away.

They alternately watched the dancers on the floor and their wooden carvings dancing on the table for a short time. The small wooden animals cavorted more than danced and Gildy couldn't help thinking it was good that Creeper seemed to be off hunting.

"Well then Gildy, would you do me the pleasure of dancing with me now?" The Prince rose and held out a hand has the minstrels struck up another lively song, punctuated by the door opening and closing yet again. More patrons and dancers had been arriving as the sunlight rapidly faded outdoors.

"Thank you, I think I am ready to enjoy dancing now!" Gildy accepted the Prince's hand and carefully moved away from the bench without a tangle of skirts, but rather than leading her to the floor he simply stood holding her hand and considering her thoughtfully for a moment. "What is it?"

"I wonder if I might make a selfish request of you, young Witch, without drawing your ire…"

Curious, Gildy arched a brow in question, "What request might that be?"

He raised his eyes from her dark black and violet dress to her head, then lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it lightly, "Might I have the pleasure of dancing with the lovely young Witch Gildy as just Gildy the lovely girl? For just a little while, would you be willing to put aside the Witch?"

He smiled into her eyes and she was sure he could see her blush. Still, she hesitated. A Witch, well that's who she was. For the past several years at least, but as he held her hand and smiled like that, she wanted to remember what it was like to just be a girl. She could feel the excitement like a fresh warm energy lightly dancing through her muscles and making her heart pound. Just a girl again, dancing with the Prince. Gildy smiled and slid her free hand into her pocket.

Prince Jax nearly dropped her hand in surprise as the coloring of her dress changed to one of fresh spring and autumn greens, and her walking boots to matching dancing slippers. She removed her hand from the pocket and set the tall Witch's hat on the table.

"Well done young Gildy, those greens are very becoming on you! I will watch over your hat and these rascals." Gildy broke eye contact with the Prince in embarrassment and nodded gratefully to the little wooden figurine surrounded by animals before Jax tugged on her hand to pull her to the dance floor. She answered the Prince's broad grin with one of her own as they joined the couples on the floor in a lively country dance, laughing as they learned the simple dance from the locals.

From the table, the little noblewoman smiled in satisfaction and led the little animals in a dancing line around the table, playing a counter melody on her lute. The pixie flew over and joined them, having abandoned the bobbing post of before. The door opened and closed again and was followed by a few sounds of surprise lost in the sounds of music and dancing feet striking the boards of the floor. Suddenly a lithe black form leapt on to the table and lunged at the pixie. The little wooden figurines scattered in panic, while the pixie simply flew up out of reach and laughed shakily at the kitten.

"Ha! Thought you had us didn't you! Too bad your hunting skills are so undeveloped, little kit!

The innkeeper-for so she must be since her husband died-turned in surprise to see the commotion. "Oh dear! How did a cat get in? I'm terribly sorry! Come here you rascal, come kitty!" The woman moved coaxingly toward Creeper. The black kitten looked and her and started bathing himself.

"Oh! Well I believe his is the young Witch's kitten, although we haven't met him yet. I noticed some black fur on her hat." The noble woman peered out from behind Gildy's hat, the little animals cowering behind her.

"I see," the innkeeper pushed a few tendrils of hair back from her forehead and looked at the kitten, "but if he's going to cause trouble…"

"I wonder if you might carry us and the hat to the fireplace mantle over there by the dancers, wouldn't we be out of his reach? In fact, with that chimney dividing us so neatly you could put us on one side and him on the other."

"Mantle?" She looked thoughtfully at it, only glimpses permitted by the movement of the dancers. "Yes I think that should work, but I hope he won't jump down and be hurt by the dancers."

"I think it may be high enough and busy enough to prevent such, and also we will all be able to watch our Witch and the Prince dance safely."

"Yes, then it's decided."

When she had placed the figurines with the hat, and Creeper on opposite sides of the mantle safely, she rushed back to her duties. Gildy had seen and smiled her thanks after briefly petting Creeper, who now seemed content to watch from his warm vantage point.

The song ended with a flourish and the dancers cheered as they moved off the floor. Gildy paused in front of the minstrels and thanked them for the music. The lute player smiled at her and said, "Lady, you are kind. I'm happy to bring joy to these folk, I lack the talent to perform in the courts. With fine dancers like yourself and the Prince I can imagine I am perhaps better than truth. Thank you for that." He stood and bowed as they set their instruments next to their stools.

Flushed from dancing and a little out of breath, Gildy and the Prince chose the closest vacant table to the fire. The minstrel's were taking a brief rest and the innkeeper was starting a fire. A girl near Gildy's age hesitantly approached the woman, and after they spoke a moment, the woman indicated their table. The girl approached and Gildy saw with surprise it was one of the girl's that had been teased earlier in the day. The girl had asked the innkeeper if she could work for her. She also confided that the handsome stable boy who had defended them worked at the inn as well. He had told her help was badly needed that night.

"I've been working at the newer inn at the edge of town, but he-he isn't a very nice boss, and those twins were his niece and nephew, so when they said it was my fault they were cursed…" Her eyes teared slightly but she lifted her chin defiantly, "I could tell he was going to fire me because he was being really mean, so I quit. I don't care if he pays more, Donna is much nicer."

The young Witch frowned, "So those twins are still causing trouble for you? And the other innkeeper is mean?" Gildy scowled in the direction of the other inn and moved back her bench.

"No, wait!" The girl flushed and lowered her head. "I'm really grateful for your help, but you can't curse everyone who deserves it, and the problem is solved because I left and-well, Donna said she is really happy to have me help, so even if he started being a better boss this still worked out better, for Donna too!"

Gildy blinked at the rush of words and the Prince chuckled, "She's probably right you know, her help will be more appreciated here." Jax addressed the girl, "When I was here about a year ago and-Donna's?-husband was still running the inn, I remember there being only one inn. The other one must have been built and started rather quickly."

"Yes it was," the girl bobbed a curtsy, "When her husband died, mistress became really depressed. The cook tried to do as much as she could by herself, and mistress still did a lot but…When we could come here, it wasn't that happy feeling anymore, it was sad, and quiet. When it lasted more than a couple weeks everyone started coming less. They felt bad, but they wanted a pleasant place to eat and dance at after working all day. So Nimz decided it was a good time to make his own inn. He got some friends and relatives to turn a stable into an inn, and served outside on blankets at first, but it was a happier place and he had good food so everyone started going."

"He didn't charge much at first so they didn't mind the blankets and all, and once they finished making the stable an inn and made a big sign, all the travelling merchants would stop at his place first, and he would buy up all the meat and spices and drink he could from them. So he had better food to offer then too."

"I see, and Donna?" Prince Jax watched Donna bustling out from the kitchen to a patron's table with a smile, the tired look seemingly gone.

"Well she was worried I think, because she had hardly any customers, but she stopped being depressed and started working a lot more again. When she was her self again more people were realizing she was much nicer than Nimz and the minstrels who used to always come here before didn't get along with him so they said they will only play here. Oh! Here she comes! I'm sorry I talked so much! Do you need anything?"

"Yes, would you like more cider? And are you ready to dine now?" Donna beamed at them and gave the girl a one armed hug.

"Mistress, I'm sorry I took so long talking!" The girl lowered here head.

"That's all right Emma, this young Witch is the one whole helped you earlier, isn't she? Of course you should talk to her and thank her. Young Witch, Your Highness, would you care for some soup, bread, and cheese with more cool cider now? I'm afraid the soup doesn't have any meat, we have run out, but it is good and very filling if you'll try it?"

"Because Nimz bought up all the good meat!"

"Emma! Mind your tongue! Please go and see if that table in the corner needs anything." She patted and gently pushed at the girl's shoulder. The girl left with another flushed thank you and curtsy. "Now then, what would you like?"

When the innkeeper left to give the cook their order they looked after her thoughtfully. Prince Jax sighed and leaned back against the wall with a smile. "I am certainly ready for dinner now, dancing always stirs up the appetite. She said it would be a short while to bring us our dinner because the bread and soup are still cooking, would you care to dance a bit more?"

The young Witch smiled at him, and shook her head. "Not yet, I need to rest my feet a bit longer first. But there are a few girls over there who haven't danced yet I think, I'm sure they would be happy to oblige. Then perhaps when my feet are rested you will be a little more tired and I will have an easier time keeping up with you!"

"Keeping up with me indeed! Your steps were quite light and quick I thought, but did I ask too much? Surely you jest?"

Gildy laughed, "Yes, you've caught me, but please do oblige those girls, the minstrels are playing again and their eyes on the floor is like a puppy's eyes at meal time." Prince Jax looked at her for a moment with a small smile, then stood and skirted the dance floor to bow to the girls. Gildy watched the spirited country dances and closed her eyes to savor the pleasant environment and day. She hadn't had so much fun for years, and perhaps since both parents were still alive for dancing. She opened her eyes again and looked at the patrons. It was such a good feeling to be around good people, it was because of them she was able to enjoy just being a girl for a while. Who would have thought it would be a Prince who would have made the whole day so much more fun? She looked up at the wooden figures on the mantle. The little animals were curled up around the noblewoman's skirts as she played her loot along with the minstrels.

The little figurine turned to look at Gildy, her hand stilling on the instrument. "Gildelaine, doesn't a feeling like the one you have now make you want to thank these people? This hardworking innkeeper? Doesn't it make you want to give them something to increase their joy?"

Gildy felt suspended by the wooden figure's gaze, as though the words passed not through her ears, but were absorbed like the warmth from the fireplace. She felt a warm energy flood through her and stood as a dance ended, breaking her gaze with the figurine. _Gildelaine, doesn't a feeling like the one you have now make you want to thank these people?_ Her eyes fell on the Witch's hat behind the wooden figurines, and she remembered the kinds of people who had inspired her to wear it, to claim wickedness. Somehow, instead of darkening her mood, it made that joy all the more powerful, a bittersweet warmth. Because the joy she felt here now with these people was far greater than the joy she had before all the darkness. Because of the darkness. Gildy's eyes moved through the dancers to rest on the minstrels, and it was as though she could see their dreams.

Gildy slid her hand into her pocket as her emotions soared, and looked intently at the musicians. _You who give and receive so much joy for the simple folk will discover the talent you crave and build it so long as you play to give joy for all folk, and your skill will not be found lacking in even a King's court. _The minstrels had just picked their instruments back up, and the first chord they struck was so pure, so perfect, that the room went silent. Dancers who had been moving to the floor halted where they stood to listen as a light, slow song began. Gildy saw, across the empty dance floor, Donna and Emma even had stopped, and turned to listen.

Prince Jax stood at their table, watching her with a smile in his eyes. Gildy felt her heart flip as the emotions became so potent she felt she would cry with joy. Just as she turned to the empty dance floor and tears pooled in her eyes, A bittersweet counter melody was added to the song by the little figurine on her lute. She smiled gently at the young Witch and nodded to the empty dance floor.

Gildy closed her eyes and stepped out, in her mind went a few years into the past, she stepped again with the pattern of joy in her heart. She savored the lifting and movement of the music, lifting herself on her toes when it rose and feeling her muscles in perfect agreement. Smiles of the past and the present drifted through her memory behind the closed eyes. She savored the feel of her dancing slippers whispering their own lyrics across the floor, of the gentle breath of her skirts as they added a graceful afterthought to her every movement. She saw her mother's flushed face as she smiled and danced with Gildy across the polished floor before guests arrived. Tears pricked her eyes at the bittersweet memory. Stepping, in simple patterns, then complex as the harmony and melody expanded. Matching the music when it simplified with her feet and arms moving in a precision that strengthened the feeling of the music. Swirling with the powerful rising of the notes.

She felt as though the music was teaching her, aiding her to speak, of the joy that could almost overwhelm her. She could feel that joy escaping through her feet, and yet not decreasing in the least. She turned, swayed, lifted and stepped. These people would return to their work the next day, and she would return to being a Witch on a quest. They would all face things that would smother or drain joy even as they created more cause for it. But joy wouldn't die, it would just sleep, become stronger with the struggle until something would revive it fully again. Gildelaine felt the music quieting, slowing. The memories of her mother when she was healthy and happy faded. The harmony gently joined the melody and she turned and swayed her body with the simple sounds until, with her feet, it settled gently back to earth. The joy ebbed away like a dream that leaves only an impression on the consciousness, and she opened her eyes.

Looking around her, finding all eyes on her, she realized the joy wasn't gone It was just distributed to all those in the room. She could see it in their eyes and smiles. Blushing self consciously, Gildy lowered her eyes, and blinked at the dancing floor, then stared. What had been a plain and slightly rough woodened plank floor, had become a smooth surface with large circular design. The vibrance and brilliance of new colored glass shone in the firelight, with a design of vines and flowers and sky. It's glow was still fading, but the design, color, and vibrance would remain. Gildy looked up again and stepped off the glass dance floor, to see Donna with her hands clutched to her bosom and tears running down her face.

At a loss, Gildy slid a hand into her pocket and shifted her weight from one foot to another. "Uhm…This floor, will not break or be marred, will not fade or wear. And, err, it will never cause injury to dancers."

Her eyes flew over to the Prince, who was watching her with wide eyes, and she turned and escaped out the door as she felt her face turn red. Suddenly she felt vunerable and exposed without her Witch's hat and dark robes. Quickly Gildy darted between the stable and a neighboring house and hid behind the corner with wide eyes. She felt Creeper hop up onto her shoulder, purring.

"Shhh…not too loud." She heard the door opening and covered her mouth.

"Gildy? Are you out here? Is everything all right? Gildy?" The Prince called out and she moved a step further away hoping she wouldn't be seen.

"Give her a few minutes, young Prince, then she'll come back in." She recognized the noble figurine's voice and waited until they went back in.

"Oh Creeper, what have I done? What came over me?" She looked down at her dress, fit for a court ball, and raised a hand to her bare head, clutching at her hair. Definitely not very Witch like. Creeper meowed softly.

"I know, you're right, it will probably be fine. None of these people would know." She took a deep breath. "Just need to go back and act normal." She pulled Creeper down from her shoulder and hugged him as she headed back to the inn. She paused to take another deep breath when rapid hoofbeats approached then suddenly halted.

"Gildy! You're safe? Are you alright? What's wrong? Where is that worthless Prince? Why are you alone?" Sir Roland nudged her with his head and she stumbled, clutching and the stallion's head to keep from falling. She stared at the fiery eyes casting an eerie glow in the dark, and felt a guilty dismay.

"Sir Roland! I…we…"

The door burst open and Prince Jax strode out abruptly, "…I don't care, she's had a few minutes and it's dark out here, so I-Gildy! There you are! Are you all right now? You should come back inside, your dinner is waiting for you and…"

Jax blinked as his eyes adjusted and he saw the Stallion's glowing eyes. "Creepy." Suddenly his eyes widened at Sir Roland and he whispered, "Uh…oops, even creepier." They stared at each other.

"And where," The knight bit off, "have you two been this whole time?" He pulled his head out of Gildy's grasp and looked at her. "Where is your hat? What are you wearing?"

Prince Jax jumped down the steps and grabbed Gildy's hand, standing next to her defiantly. Sir Roland's nostrils flared. "What have you been doing? While I looked all over town and the dragon watched the wizard? Do you know what it's like for a dark enchanted horse to get information about missing Princesses-or _Witches_?"

Gildy's heart sank.


	13. Ch 13

Ch. 13 In Which Reality Rear's It's Head and the Quest Gains Urgency

The three companions stared at each other in tense silence, Sir Roland's nostrils flaring angrily. Gildy swallowed guiltily. They hadn't told the knight that the rumors had proved useless and regarded a party of princesses that were separate and quite safe. Instead, for hours, they had enjoyed themselves cursing people, shopping, and _dancing_. While he searched for them frantically. Gildy looked down at her green gown in the flickering lamplight. Because she had changed and removed her hat the whole time she danced, she wouldn't have fit the description he would search for her with. She covered her face in her hands in dismay.

"Sir Roland, I'm so-"

A clatter of hooves interrupted them as they passed at dangerous speed, then as they stared after the rider, he quickly rode back, glanced at Sir Rolan's glowing red eyes intently. The man jumped off his lathered mount and bursed into the inn.

"Where is Gildy the Wicked Witch! Where is she?" The man shouted in the in, his eyes quickly searching the dancing patrons. His eyes fell on the hat on the mantle and he quickly entered the room.

Gildy and her companions stood just outside the open doorway stunned. The young witch paled and backed away nervously as confused questions and voices broke out in the common room. Gildy backed away into the shadow's pale.

"What…What's going on? Why is that man after me? My cu-curses weren't _that _bad were they?" With wide eyes, she looked at Roland from the shadows.

Jax stared at her for a moment, then abruptly shook his head, "Fools, you are no truly wicked witch-yet." He winked at her, "I'll see what's to-do." With a worried glance at the abandoned lathered mount he entered the inn and closed the door behind him.

"Gildy, come this way." Sir Roland moved behind the stable quietly as possible. Luckily there was only the main street paved in this town.

The frightened young witch followed, "I-I really haven't made enemies have I? I mean, I-"

Sir Roland's fiery eyes burned into her and she broke off. "Can you truly go around trying to be a Wicked Witch and announce yourself as such without expecting to create enemies in your victims and their families? Where is the logic of that?"

"I-"

"Even if you aren't causing any great danger to them, there are plenty of young fools eagerly looking for an enemy to bring them glory. And of course your victims don't _enjoy _being cursed!"

She felt her eyes fill with tears as she looked at the knight she had cursed, and been taking advantage of. Was he an enemy too? Would he want revenge on her? "But all the young royals and knights expect to be cursed or fought these days! There's a _lot_ of witches and beasts getting away with cursing! I-"

"You-have only been thinking of _you._ You may have to take responsibilities for your actions. So far that shouldn't be too bad, you might have to remove a curse. _But, _if you don't want enemies, Gildy…You'll have to think about whether you want to play this wicked witch game."

They both quieted as the inn door opened again. The voices inside had lowered to a more normal volume but the tones were of fear.

"Sir Roland, it's Prince Jax. We need to follow this man, it's safe to come out Gildy. The wizard we left in the dragon's care has been attacked by wolves, he's badly injured."

They came out from behind the stable to face the Prince and the rider. Seeing Gildy, without her witch's hat, the rider looked at Prince Jax questioningly and received a nod.

The man cleared his throat, "The dragon sent me. Our wisewoman is doing what she can for the wizard right now, but she has no magic and is helping you can help. The wound is-very bad. The wizard is at Nimz's inn." The man rubbed the back of his neck irritably, "I had a devil of a time finding you, we'd best hurry."

"Gildy," Jax motioned her over to Roland's other side and handed her up before mounting behind her. "It's really not so far from here but after all you've done today we should try and conserve your energy."

The other man had just mounted again with the door to the inn opened and Donna came out with a worried expression. "Young Witch! You'll want these I think!" Creeper dashed through the door way and leapt as high as he could, his claws catching on her skirts so he could climb up to her. Gildy winced and looked over at Donna. The woman carefully held out the witch's hat with the cluster of wooden figures clinging to it on the brim.

"Thank you Donna."

"No, young witch, thank you for what you've done for us. Your magic-it-it touched everyone's hearts, it was so wonderful! And what you did for my inn-but I'm keeping you, go. Don't worry about the drinks and food. If you return when you're through tonight your room and provisions for today _and _tomorrow will be free, now go on!"

Gildy smiled gratefully at the innkeeper and clung to the stallion's mane as he broke into a quick trot. When the horses increased their pace to a canter, the Prince tightened his arms around her waist and spoke quietly,

"Gildy, have you ever healed a bad bite?"

"Well…how bad? I mean, I've had a few bites that caused some bleeding from a few punctures?" When the Prince didn't respond she looked over her shoulder at him. His face was quiet serious.

"I think you may need to brace yourself for this, from what the rider told me, it's quite bad. The wisewoman is quite certain the wizard may be unable to use the leg again."

Sir Roland's ears flicked back toward them, "The damage aside, why did the wolves attack so violently? They usually do very little damage, but to maim! Was the dragon not there?"

The rider before them slowed his mount and quickly dismounted, indicating the inn's back kitchen door. They could faintly see the shadow of the dragon near the buildings. The rider lead them into the kitchen, "The dragon said it fell asleep, but was right there."

Sir Roland stopped at the doorway and stamped a flinty hoof in frustration as they entered. The rider started to close the door but Gildy turned quickly, "No don't! Please leave it open, Sir Roland may be able to help somehow if he can see." The wise woman looked up from the rag she was wringing used water out of into a bowl.

"Well I suppose it's all right since it isn't cold outside. Here, you, empty this outside and refill it with clean water." She handed the bowl to the rider, then turned to Gildy and frowned. "You're quite young, have you done much healing or only cursing?"

"Curses mostly, I've needed to do only a little healing of-of minor injuries." Gildy lowered her head, and avoided looking at the wounded leg of the wizard sprawled on the pallet at her feet.

"Well if you can do anything to speed the healing, even to close the wounds that will be a great help to this man. I understand he is an enemy you are delivering to the king, but unless something is done to save his leg he will have to remain unmoved for longer-or he won't make it. Now then, I need you to take a look. Brace yourself and try to think of it as more of disorganized puzzle. I've cleaned it the best I could."

Prince Jax kneeled with Gildy and held her shoulders. She swallowed and moved her eyes to the blanket covered leg and nodded. When the wise woman removed the blanket, Gildy quickly covered her mouth as her stomach turned. She closed her eyes. _Get ahold of yourself. _"How…how is it this bad?"

"From what I was told the wolves were dragging the wizard away from the sleeping dragon by this leg. They didn't get very far before the dragon woke, but the man struggled, so…"

Gildy's eyes widened, "It's my fault…he couldn't have run because of my spell!"

The woman looked at the young witch hard as she began to shake in her companion's hands. "All right then, maybe it is partly your fault, but you didn't call or madden the wolves. So, for the little that is your fault, what can you do to make amends? You have power, use it to help."

The two stared at each other for a long tense moment, then Gildy's shaking slowed. She glanced over at Sir Roland watching silently from the doorway, then took a deep breath. _Look at it like a puzzle. Make amends. _Fix it. The young witch looked down again and willed herself to look at the gruesome wound objectively, at what was supposed to connect where. She slid a hand into her pocket, and waited for the flood of energy, but only felt a trickle.

"Most likely no matter how much you can help he won't be able to use his lower leg again, so the most important thing is closing it to keep out infection. I've cleaned it and done what I could, but if you can do nothing else-try to do that."

Gildy stared at the leg unseeing. Only a trickle, she couldn't do anything with only a trickle.

"Gildy." She looked up at Sir Roland's voice. "Try to make amends for your actions. This is a good place to start."

Jax spoke up quietly, "With the power you showed earlier, with the joy you filled everyone in that room with, you can do a lot for that leg, but he is an enemy and surely the Queen will melt him after they've gained the information anyway. You don't need to perfectly fix the leg. You don't need to heal it completely. You only need to do as much for that leg as you _want _to."

Gildy blinked. _As much as I want to? How much do I want to make amends? _She looked down at the leg again and imagined the wizard being attacked, gritting her teeth at the fearful image and turning of her stomach. _I want to fix this, I don't want to be the cause of suffering like that! _The young witch felt warm energy flow through her again and breathed a sigh of relief, then set to work.

Prince Jax caught her when the young witch fainted from exhaustion and they all stared at the leg. It looked almost completely normal, but it was hard for the eye to identify what wasn't right about it. Some of the wizard's color returned the wise woman checked on him.

"She has done…much more than I thought she could, and the man seems to have regained his strength, I rather think he might be able to stand and move somewhat normally in even an hour or two." She touched her patient's healed calf. "It's not quite right in there, and no wonder, she had to do a lot of guessing, and there was…the missing parts to deal with. But aside from being lame the leg shouldn't give him any more trouble. No doubt if the King and Queen approve of it, Morwen or Telemain could set things right and completely restore the leg when you get there."

The rider cleared his throat, "Nimz said he will give you rooms for the night at a half fee if you intend to stay here."

"Thank you," Sir Roland said from the doorway, "But the other innkeeper is already expecting us for the night."

"Well then if you like I can help you move him."

Gildy woke a short time later in an unfamiliar room and sat up with effort. "There now, I thought you would wake soon. Donna is keeping a dinner hot from you, I'm certain you'll need it after all that energy you used. Do you want to eat here in your room or in the common room? Most of the patrons have gone to their homes or their beds."

From the voice, she guessed the little noble woman was on some sort of table by her head, but in the dark she couldn't be sure. She remembered the wizard's leg as she stood a little dizzily. Immediately the image of the wizard being attacked flashed through her mind and she gasped, stumbling breifly.

"Mreoow, rrreaww." Creeper rubbed against her ankles, purring loudly, while Gildy tried to force the frightening image from her mind.

"Thank you, Creeper, and…you need a name don't you?" She looked a little blindly in the direction of the noble woman. "So dark in here." The young witch muttered softly and a faint glow pushed shadows into shapes from her witch's hat.

"Well now, a name! Hmm, would you mind if I come up with one for myself? A bit of a whim! Having been wakened by your magic I don't have one yet it's true."

"Sure, that's fine. Tell me when you've decided, won't you please?" Gildy picked up her hat and looked at it for a moment. Black. Forboding. The Wicked Witch accessory. "Are you and your pets coming down as well? Did you want to ride on the hat?"

"No, no thank you. The animals are asleep and I rather think I'll rest myself for a bit." Gildy nodded at the little woman's words and considered leaving the hat behind, then she lifted her chin and set it on her head.

The common room was indeed mostly empty, to her relief. She slowly walked to the table by the fire where she had sat with the Prince earlier, he was seated there already. She looked down at the glass dancing floor, it's vibrant colors lit by the firelight. The Prince was leaning back against the wall with a large mug in his hands.

"Welcome back, how do you feel?"

"Well thank you, only tired and hungry."

The Prince grinned and rose from his seat, "Well good then, I've already eaten, but I'll let the cook know you're ready for your dinner."

Left alone at the table, Gildy looked tiredly into the fire. Creeper jumped into her lap. Petting him absently she jumped when there was a thump nearby. Blinking, she realized it was coming from a window next to Jax's seat. Setting Creeper on the floor she approached the window.

"Jax, open the window, it's Roland."

"Roland?" Gildy pushed the heavy shutter open to see the stallion's glowing eyes.

"Oh you're awake, good." Jax re-entered caring a wooden platter with Gildy's dinner and she sat back down.

"Where is the dragon and the wizard? Is the leg all right?" She drank some of the broth from her soup with pleasure and broke off a piece of bread, arching a brow at the stallion.

"The dragon is still outside the town, it said it will watch for anymore wolf attacks. It feels quite bad about the whole thing I'm sure, so no more attacks should go unnoticed tonight. The wizard is in one of the rooms here."

The Prince spoke up, "How very strange that those wolves were bold enough to attack the wizard when he was sleeping right next to a dragon!"

"Clearly they have to be maddened, although by what I don't know. The town is going to organize a hunt first thing in the morning."

Gildy simply listened as she worked on her dinner, feeling her strength improved with each bite. Jax frowned at the window thoughtfully.

"Perhaps we should help them hunt those wolves down then."

"No we don't have time, and in this form I could only do so much good against a pack of wolves. You I think should not take the risk. But aside from that, there is a greater reason we need to move on without delay." Sir Roland flattened his ears.

"Why is that?" Prince Jaz asked, annoyed.

"Remember the servant and guard of yours that we haven't seen since we joined company?" Sarcasm tinged the stallions words clearly and Gildy coughed as Jaz's face turned red.

"Well, of course, they are after all supposed to help look for information about my sister, not just follow me everywhere."

Roland snorted and Gildy looked warily at the surface of her soup. "Err…there's…there's hare in this soup. I just realized-I ate some."

Prince Jax made a face of disgust, "Hair? The cook must have been very careless, shall I have her bring you another bowl?"

"Another bowl? But why?" Gildy looked from horse to Prince, perplexed.

"Because there's hair in your soup?"

"But I like it, the hare is really good! I just thought from what Donna said earlier that, well…she wouldn't have any to put in the soup."

Prince Jax stared at her with an indescribable expression and the stallion tossed his head before saying, "You like hair in your soup? And Donna implied she wouldn't have any hair? Jax, check her for a fever." Sir Roland's ear's flattened, "And get her another bowl of soup."

"What? I'm fine! And-" she clutched her half empty bowl to her chest, "there's nothing wrong with my soup, or the hare! It's really good meat!"

A clatter broke the silence and a sleeping patron at another table knocked his mug off the table. Roland snorted and tossed his head, while Jax doubled over laughing. Gildy grinned and laughed along with him. Roland snorted again and waited for them to come for their senses.

"Now then, if you two have recovered your senses, as I was saying-your two men Jax…They have indeed found more information about your sister. The rider you met earlier was carrying a packet of messages for the locals, and one of your men was near someone when they opened their message. Some distant relation of one of the other girl's at the castle of dancing princesses."

"Not just another rumor then?"

"No, not just another rumor. The letter from the princess said she is at the Castle of Rings with all the other young royalty, and that they had been enjoying the new location as much as they could, but something happened that has her terrified and she is asking her relation to bring help from the king."

"The Castle of Rings? I've never heard of it, have you? And what has the girl terrified?"

Gildy shook her head with Roland as he said, "I was hoping you had heard of it. It seems one of the other princesses was complaining and demanding for the wizards to let her go home, but they refused. The next day while she was in the castle gardens somehow a wild boar got in, it attacked her. That princess is dead."

"That's horrible!" Gildy lowered her hot cider to the table. "Are all the animals going mad?"

Prince Jax shook his head, "This wasn't in the enchanted forest, and boars do act mad and quite violent if they are injured."

"That's just it," They looked at Roland and his eyes flared, "The boar was uninjured. The princess had heard enough hunt stories to know they can get violent indeed, so she asked the guards around and found they were all spooked. She said not one of them had seen the boar approach or enter the castle. Also, the princess who was attacked was in the back of the gardens, where there were high walls. The boar would have had to pass several other people to get to her from outside the castle but no-one else saw it until she was dead."

Prince Jax raked his hands through his hair, disturbing his sleeping pixie. She flew off in a huff as he spoke, "Why isn't my man reporting this to me himself?"

"Your guard said to tell you he is riding back to your home to inform your family of the situation. Your servant however, is missing. We need to get to King Mendanbar as soon as possible."

"My sister…" Jax stared blankly at Gildy, "When she last wrote she too was saying she wanted to go home. I hope she will be wary! We must leave tonight!"

Emma, looking harrassed at the moment from the hall, "Did you just say leave tonight? That wizard has a fever, he ranting about princesses and dancing and..really loony."

Prince Jax jumped up from the table and rushed down the hall, "Which room? What did he say about dancing princesses?"

Emma rushed after Jax down the hall, pointing to a room. "Shhh other patrons are trying to _sleep_ you know! He said something about someone eliminating useless pawns and that the summoning spells can't be perfected yet, so they can't get him…Wizard's are creepy. Are you going to take him away tonight please?"

Sir Roland spoke from the window, "We leave tonight. The guard left more funds behind for the Prince so we can buy a couple more horses. Get your things together and tell Jax to buy a few days provision from the innkeeper. With more horses we should be able to reach King Mendenbar by tomorrow night."

"All right, but why a couple more horses?"

"Because you need to change me back now. If we get attacked by anymore maddened animals, or someone coming after that wizard, I won't be enough help in this form. Finish your dinner quickly, you're going to need that strength."


	14. Chapter 14

Ch. 14 In Which Creatures Abound

They rode in silence for a while, cantering to allow Gildy to sleep, and tensely watching the path. The forest was not only magical, it was old. The trees towered over the pathway casting a cloak of darkness over the night life. Moonlight would suddenly spring across their path and bathe their mounts near the smaller trees, then drop back into shadows. Prince Jax watched the shadows uneasily.

"Everyone knows shadows have a way of seeming to move out of the corner of your eyes this late at night anywhere...but the feeling is infinitely stronger in this forest."

"People usually stay indoors at this time of the night. That would probably be because the shadows moving here is more reality than imagination. It wouldn't surprise me if the King were more lenient on creatures terrorizing people this late to keep questing youths from getting into danger when no-one to help is awake."

They fell back into silence and Sir Roland hid a grin when the Prince urged his mount to increase its' pace. The wizard snorted restlessly in his sleep, drooping in the ropes binding him to his mount, but didn't wake. The witch didn't move or show any reaction to the increase in pace. Creeper stared up at the knight with wide eyes eerily lit by the moonlight, then tucked his face back behind Gildy's arm. The dragon's wing beats had grown faint and the knight was looking up at the sky when the young Prince slowed his mount. The air twisted around them and the dragon's shadow covered them as it flew low to speak,

"There is not any wide enough place for me to land for quite a way along the path, I just checked. I have to confess flying at a slower speed and circling to stay close is rather tiring. I don't think I can be much use to you with this path. How about if I go up to the next area large enough for a clearing and find the nearest water source, my dinner, and wait for you there? It is a fair distance down the path and I would have time to catch something for your dinner also if you like so you can rest and eat there."

The dragon's protection being rendered difficult at best it was agreed it would move on. The sounds of night in the forest were becoming familiar and the riders began to slump in their saddles. The Prince's pixie yawned in the curls on his head, then stretched, tangling wooden limbs in the curls.

"Ouch!" The Prince swatted at her and she hopped down to sit on his shoulder facing behind them.

"I'll watch your back. Ew..." The little carving covered her wooden nose as a pair of skunks bustled across their path. One of them flipped it's tail up at her as it crossed but did nothing more. They let out a sigh of relief when the animals were out of sight.

"Do you hear that? Voices." She said with a frown.

They both looked around at the path but their was no-one in sight. Sir Roland drew his sword, and they moved their horses to face opposite sides of the path warily. The knight looked down at the witch in his arms with a frown. "This is a problem, I can't fight like this."

"Shh…" The saddle creaked as the Prince turned to look behind them at the path on both sides. The voices were getting closer, but still even with the vision spell they couldn't see anyone.

"…don't see why I had to be woken up in the middle of the night for this, why are people traveling in the middle of the night anyway? I thought the king doesn—"

"Woken up you say! Were you really asleep under that bush? Truly?"

"Look, its not my fault my wife kicked me out. She just chitters and nags at me, can't speak you know. If I don't bring enough nuts home from work she pelts me with pine cones until I go back out for more, or it's the bush for me!"

"Tsk, tsk…well you're welcome in my tree when you need a place to stay. Are you going to leave?"

"No…no…after all the hard work I've already done…she's right there's still not enough for the winter, but well…everything I worked for is in that tree stored up and I won't leave it. She's got me by the nuts and she knows it. By the by, it's real nice to have another creature to talk to! It's been a long time since Suz came around and all the quest beasts care about is their quests."

"Of course we don't live so close, but I'll come visit again. Maybe another message request will be sent along your way. Tough luck about the wife though…well you'd better find a higher place to sleep with these mad wolves around—oh good the travelers stopped moving, now we can catch up."

The Prince had relaxed visibly by this time, the mundane conversation no doubt having eased his tension. Sir Roland and Prince Jax exchanged a look. They still couldn't see anyone, but could at least tell which direction the voices were coming from. Finally two small figures came out of the forest. An opossum, and a squirrel. The Prince looked from the two creatures, as they called their greetings, to Roland.

"Can ALL the animals in the forest talk?"

"No, mostly just the magical quest beasts, and a very few other creatures like Suz have become able to speak to pass messages for the king or the people when needed."

They greeted the creatures, then the knight asked, "Were you looking for us?"

The opossum settled itself comfortably on a rock and grinned with its sharp teeth, while the squirrel rubbed it's face restlessly and watched nervously for wolves. Rustling from various nightlife and owls sly calls continued to echo through the shadows.

"We were yes, the villagers told Suz you left with only a couple weapons and the witch was helpless." The opossum rolled slightly to the side and rubbed its belly. "There was really good scraps from them tonight. They also think the wolves might have been sent after you because of your quest so they want to be sure you're ready." The squirrel tsk-tsked and scrambled partway up a tree at a rustling sound in the distance. "I was sent to pass on the message to my friend here, and he sent someone for more weapons for you. He wanted someone with sharp teeth to hang around since he was asked to lead to the road, and I can see better in the dark so here I am too. As for the weapons, that's probably her coming now."

Leaves whispered in the tree as the squirrel bobbed it's head emphatically. "Yes, yes. I'll go see."

"What kind of weapons? We have swords."

"So I see," said the opossum, "but you have extras to protect and since those wolves are quite mad…the hunters thought you'd be better off with windows." The opossum grinned proudly.

Sir Roland stared. "With windows?"

"Something magical? Perhaps a scrying device to watch or track the wolves?" The Prince sounded cheerful for the first time since the messenger had arrived. He looked at their visitor eagerly.

The opossum just blinked dark eyes at them for a moment. Branches shook above, heralding the smaller messenger's return. The noise somehow seemed louder than it should.

"I think he means wind boughs." Said the squirrel, covering his mouth with both paws and twitching his tail.

"No, no that's not it either" the opossum said sadly,"…maybe not wind, it was…air boughs?"

"Air bows…?" The two men exchanged a look.

"Yes…yes it is." The squirrel dashed off through tree tops, and a few minutes later another figure joined them.

The opossum grinned, displaying sharp teeth. "Hello, dear" he said.

The doe twitched an ear nervously and ducked her head in greeting. Two bows and full quivers had been bound to her slender back.

"Ah, airboughs, of course. These will indeed be very useful." Sir Roland sighed in relief and Prince Jax dismounted to remove the weapon's. The doe rolled her eyes, showing whites and the horses shuffled. Abruptly all sounds of movement and nightlife in the forest went silent.

"Uh oh." The opossum quickly climbed the tree, his companion streaking up the tree past him.

"Run, dear! Run!" The squirrel said quietly. The doe needed no further encouragement and bounded off.

The two men quickly strung the bows and settle the quivers as they heard the approach, aside from the noise of their passage the wolves were eerily silent. There was no snarling or howling or growling, just a mad rush with red eyes and foam flying from curled lips.

"I count three." Sir Roland said.

"Same."

"Don't worry about your horses," the opossum called down, "we'll keep track of them if they run and help bring them back, just get those wolves!"

"Fine, thank you," Sir Roland said as he loosed and arrow. Deflected by brush, it missed it's mark. The Prince had already dismounted, and Sir Roland handed him Gildy before dismounting himself. He loosed another arrow and it struck the shoulder of a wolf. But the charge was unchecked, the maddened creature didn't even yelp or respond to the wound. Quickly the Prince put Gildy down in the middle of the road and they stood on either side of her unconscious form, continuing to fire the arrows at the wolves.

"This is not good, the arrows don't faze them." The Prince said grimly, "We have to aim to kill to do any good."

The knight nodded grimly and his arrow struck the front wolf through one red eye, burying itself in a few inches. The creature didn't pause, it kept running full speed right into a tree. The impact drove the arrow deeper and birds and animals shrieked as their tree shook them awake. The wolf fell to the ground and the men tossed aside the bows and drew their swords again. The men had moved away from Gildy to distract the wolves from her and avoid tripping over her.

They each swung their blades at a charging wolf, both striking, but again the charging beasts didn't falter. Nor did they head for their attackers. Prince Jax cursed.

"They're after her!"

The two men quickly lunged at the wolves but the wolves were faster and were nearly at Gildy. Creeper suddenly dashed out of some bushes he'd been hiding in, his coat standing on end and hissed and spit with all he was wolf at the wolves. Desperately Sir Roland threw his sword at the further wolf and it flew, end over end striking the creature in the head, while Prince Jax dashed forward. The knight's sword struck the nearer wolf with it's hilt and caused it to lose balance, stumbling into the other wolf. For a moment the two wolves were a tangle of limbs, but a moment was just enough for Prince Jax to wrecklessly tackle the stunned wolf pile, holding them down as they madly attacked each other. The knight quickly ran up , retrieved his sword, and beheaded the wolves.

Panting, the two pulled the dead beasts out of the road and into the edges of the forest, then dropped down next to the unconscious witch.

The knight looked up at the opossum, "There was only three, right?" The whole encounter had been eerily silent.

"Yes, and we'll take care of these dead ones, you should get moving. Your horses are just up the road a bit. Thank you. We will spread the word the wolves have been slain."

Being the stronger of the two, the knight picked up Gildy and they walked down the path toward the horses with the prince's pixie watching their backs. Sir Roland looked up at her.

"Jax. Why is there some kind of little creature in your hair looking at me?" The pixie stuck it's tongue out at the knight.

"Oh, yes, that's my pixie. Didn't you see her earlier? She was watching our backs."

"Yes but...Your pixie?"

"Yes," the Jax glanced at him, "she's an enchanted wood carving Gildy gave me. She didn't give you one?"

Sir Roland was quiet for a moment, looking down at the unconscious Witch. Creeper climbed back up Gildy's skirt and curled up in the crook of the knight's arm, looking up at him and purring so hard his small body vibrated. The knight petted the kitten and they rode on in silence.

It was nearly dawn when an obstacle came into view. Sir Roland partially drew his sword warily and they slowed the horses. Gildy stirred groggily and yawned.

"What is that?" Sir Roland asked the Prince.

"I'm not certain but…oh luck!" Prince Jax urged his mount forward and called back in delight, "It's a chest! An old one with bits of gilt! Come look!"

Stopping at the chest Sir Roland dismounted and joined the Prince, leaving Gildy mounted. She resituated herself in the middle of the saddle with pleasure and watched them. The wizard watched in silent misery.

Prince Jax put his hands on his hips and grinned, "Its about time we had this kind of luck, I'm pretty much cleaned out since we bought the extra mounts you know. I know you and Gildy don't have any monies either. Problem solved!" The Prince started to reach for the chest.

"Wait!" Jax pulled back his hand in surprise and an annoyed expression crossed his features, but Sir Roland was looking around with narrowed eyes. "There's just something wrong about this, where is its owner?"

"Maybe the owner is a new quester who started out planning on carrying around this chest everywhere and decided it's too heavy." The Prince sighed, "Come to think of it the thing is probably empty."

"If it's not perhaps I could get my own mount," Gildy muttered. The chest was medium to small in size and if the Prince was right, someone would be hard put to conveniently carry all its contents off in another way in any kind of comfort.

"Well I suppose you might be right." Sir Roland drew his sword anyway while the Prince crouched and flipped the catch open on the chest's lid.

The lid flipped open and revealed neatly rolled spice packets tucked in one corner and several pouches. Prince Jax let out a whoop, waking his pixie and drawing the other carvings out to see what was going on. He reached into the chest for one of the pouches and suddenly the lid snapped shut. He barely pulled his hand out in time and jerked backward in surprise.

"Hey!" He waited for a moment and nothing else happened.

"Maybe it has a time spell on it to keep it from being opened too long and letting too many people see it's contents or avoid being left open." Gildy said in amusement.

Sir Roland however wasn't taking any chances, with his sword firmly in hand he circled around behind it to watch the Prince's back and peered into the woods around them. The Prince reached out, recoiled warily, and when nothing happened flipped the latch again. He opened the lid halfway and suddenly the chest flew at him, snapping it's lid. The Prince let out a shout and scrambled backward awkwardly just in time. It lunged snapping its lid again.

"What the devil IS this thing?" The Prince scrambled back again and it kept coming.

"I have no idea, I've never seen this. Maybe it's a trap spell…" He hacked at the back of the chest with his sword and a few wood chips flew but the chest kept lunging and snapping at the Prince.

"I hope not!" The Prince said, crab-leaping back and to the side again. "How would we kill a spell? Gildy what do you think? Can you stop the thing?"

"I've never seen one either Prince Jax. I'm not sure if it is a spell."

"Ew!" The Prince wiped what looked like drool off his tunic and pointed at drool dribbling down the front of the snapping chest.

"Great! Monster then! Keep it distracted!" Sir Roland lunged at the chest and swung again. Just as his blade neared it the chest lunged with a vicious snap at the Prince, causing him to scramble back again.

"This thing is getting faster! Hurry up and kill it Roland!"

Gildy covered her mouth watching the scrambling Prince, vicious drooling chest, and knight in a bizarre chase around the path, trying to stifle her laughter.

"How am I supposed to kill a box! Do you have any ideas?" Sir Roland snapped.

"Figure it out with all that experience of yours, blast it!" The Prince made an attempt to get back to his feet and the chest nipped glancingly at his knee, knocking him off balance again. "OW! Hurry up!" The Prince was red-faced with embarrassment and frustration.

"Maybe if I try to break it's hinges! I can see some from the back—"

"Whatever! Just do it fast!"

Lunge-snap. Crab scramble. Lunge and swing. The chain of actions kept repeating.

Sir Roland charged and swung his blade in a low arch to separate the hinges from the box's lid but his timing was off and his blade caught in the hardened wood of the lid, jerking the sword out of his hands as it lunged forward again. Cursing under his breath, the knight jumped forward groping for his blade, getting knocked painfully by it a few times before catching it. By this point Gildy could see the Prince was panting with the constant awkward evading, and Sir Roland kept stalking and swinging at it with his eyes narrowed intently. Gildy couldn't hold back any more as the unproductive efforts of all three continued to take them zigzagging down the path, she laughed out loud. Hard.

The sight was so ridiculous! The pixie even started trying to harass the chest but it seemed only interested in the Prince who had opened it. The little wise woman carving tsk-tsked at the young Witch from inside the pouch.

"For shame, Gildy! You should help your companions! After all this is costing you all time and you must get moving!" The little carving chided.

"Stop laughing at us and do something, Witch! It's not funny!" Sir Roland spared a moment to glare at her, sweat trickling down his face.

Gildy put her hands on her hips and glared back. "Oh sure, now I really want to help! I think maybe you need to figure it out alone and gain the _experience _of how to kill the thing!"

The little carving sighed. Sir Roland growled and tossed his sword aside, then charged and tackled the chest in the middle of its leap. Knight and chest crashed to the ground and the thing hopped and shook violently under his wait to try and free itself.

"Great! Finally!" The Prince regained his feet, and then when the chest was about to get away leaped forward to tackle both and help hold the box down. The two men grunted as the chest wildly struggled under them snapping. "Get a hold of it!"

"I'm trying, I can't! It starts to bite my arm. We have to hold its lid shut!"

"You're right that seems to be what gives it the momentum to move. Ow!"

Gildy laughed again as the two men wrestled the little chest, doubling over as her stomach began to ache. Something struck her temple where the staff and struck and she fell off her mount. She looked up, stunned, to see what had attacked. The little wooden pixie stuck her tongue out at Gildy from above and laughed at her.

"How do _you_ like it?"

The young witch glared and rubbed her shoulder as she got up.

"Gildy please…even if we get it's…lid shut we've no idea…how to kill the thing, it's obviously a magical…creature!" Sir Roland and the prince looked at her panting with pleading eyes.

"Not to mention we're wasting time." The wisewoman added.

"All right, all right" Gildy pointedly dusted off her skirts first then circled the pile of men and box to get to the most exposed part of the bucking thing. "Better hope I don't miss…"

"You know…." Sir Roland panted, "at the moment I don't care so much if you do."

"Same, young witch, please just do what you can." Prince Jax said darkly.

Gildy broke a few long branches off a tree and dropped them at her feet. "When I say now, release the box and move away—quickly." They both nodded and shifted to be able to regain their feet. "Now!" Gildy enchanted the branches and sent them, snake like, to wrap around the box, trapping it's lid shut. As the knight had guessed, the moment the lid was shut it stopped moving, but they knew the thing wasn't dead, only subdued. Sir Roland and Prince Jax stood on either side of the box in satisfaction.

"Now then what shall we do to it? Smash it?" Jax glared at bound, drool covered box and used a handful of leaves to wipe drool off his clothes. His little pixie brought him more leaves, glaring at Gildy at ever opportunity.

"Or maybe burn it? The wood seems to be very tough and might ruin my blade." Sir Roland narrowed his eyes at the evil chest speculatively. "You ought to be firewood."

"You're cruel! It's a living creature and you want to burn it alive?" Both men turned and stared at the Young Witch. Her lips twitched, aside from a few bruises, being worn out, and wounded pride they were unharmed. Well…and drool. She decided she had a fondness for the thing. Creeper strutted up and purred, rubbing his head and side against a corner of the box with a sly look at the men.

"That settles it. I'm keeping it."

"You're _what!_" Sir Roland snapped.

"Young Witch, keeping this monster may not be the best—" The red-faced Prince started with careful calm, wiping sweat from his brow and avoiding her eyes, his other fist clenched.

"I'm sorry, but you must admit the thing makes an appropriate pet for a wicked witch. Don't worry, I'll keep it from bothering you." To demonstrate, she added more enchanted branch ropes to bind the chest then tied it securely on top of their packs. "Now we can get moving."

Since she was not eager to sit in a saddle with one of the men and their drool covered clothes, she opted to walk part of the way. At least until the drool dried. It wasn't until he spoke that she realized they had forgotten about the captive wizard.

"Well," the scrawny old man said,"this episode has answered one question."

Since she was in a good mood from the spectacle she decided to humor the old wizard. "What question would that be?"

"How many fools does it take to close a box?" The wizard smirked nastily.


	15. Ch 15 In Which the Path is Opened

**Chapter 15 In Which the Path is Opened**

After a breif period of tense silence between the companions which even the wizard didn't interrupt, the little noble woman started strumming her lute on Gildy's hat. After a few idle chords she launched into an unfamiliar piece with a quick, light rhythm. After a moment she realized they had all adjusted their pace to move in time to the music and Gildy relaxed her shoulders and adjusted easily to the brisk pace, feeling Creeper shift his balance accordingly. Hopefully the men would stop sulking by the time the drool on their clothes dried. She grinned to herself and eyed her captured box creature with anticipation. Oh the ways she could make use of such a creature!

The young witch quietly addressed the figurine above her, "Do you think I will have any trouble controlling such a creature? Have you never seen or heard of one either?"

The noble woman's voice drifted softly in response from above, "No, but I suppose if any were capable of getting to know of the thing and making an _appropriate_ use of it you would do well enough. It might best to wait until you have taken it home however, to a controlled environment without other dangers or distractions. Perhaps if you can find a way to charm It, the box may even be a sort of protector for you in the future. Around your home at least." She continued to play her lute with tiny wooden fingers, beginning a new melody and adding her voice to tell the story of an orphaned girl.

Gildy dipped her head forward slightly so her long dark hair and hat brim would hide her face from the men riding beside her. Unwillingly she faced memories stirred by the noble woman's song and the previous day at the Inn. The past wasn't important anymore. She had done well becoming a wicked witch and despite doubts that were expressed to her when she first decided on such a path her magic seemed perfectly capable of supporting that role, even if it didn't work quite the same as most other wicked witches. Even if she wasn't really evil. A good witch would have been too predictable and made it too easy to be found. Gildy stumbled slightly as her slipper struck something in the path and she hopped for a moment, trying to shake away the pain vigoursly. The party slowed to a halt in the darkness that only her dimly glowing hat countered.

"What's wrong?" Roland halted his mount abruptly and squinted at the dark path and forest around them.

"Are you alright?" Prince Jax sounded tired.

Both the Knight and the Prince started to dismount. Surely the drool was dried by now? Suddenly she remembered how they had been damp with sweat while grappling with the box creature. Maybe riding with them wouldn't be a good idea after all, but she could hardly see and they couldn't risk drawing attention to themselves with a light stronger than her hat provided.

"I just stubbed my toe that's all, I'll be fine in a moment."

At least she could change her outfit back to something more practical. She had been in such a hurry to heal the wizard she didn't have a chance to do away with the delicate dancing gown and slippers. Sliding a hand into her pocket, she shifted her footwear to boots, and after a moment shifted her long gown to trousers with feminine jerkin that reached nearly to her knees. Much more practical, and this way she could ride astride. Her sides and thighs ached from the side saddle position she must have slept in. Sir Roland had come up to her side and touched a hand lightly to her elbow.

"Gildy perhaps you should ride with me again now."

She winced and tucked her hair behind her ear to peer at his clothing critically, sniffing subtly at the same time as the Prince joined him at her side. She glanced at the wizard's mount to make certain he was still bound and docile. He watched them unmoving. She looked at each of them again, sniffing subtly again to try and determine which of them it was who smelled more strongly of sweat. _Great, either way I'm going to end up smelling too unless I use my magic. One of them definitely smells worse though, why must they stand so close together? _

"Do we have much further to ride? How long was I asleep before we were attacked?"

"I'm not certain how much time, I would think we should be fairly close to the dragon and the rest spot he intended to find for us. Although, he didn't know we would be slowed by someone walking."

Gildy rolled her eyes at the Knight. She moved to the nearest mount, Sir Roland's and rested a hand on its muzzle as though considering. She realized she was only wasting time over something silly. "You're right, I will ride."

"Great! Up you go then!" The Knight moved quickly to take advantage and lift her onto his mount before the Prince could offer his own. Once they were both mounted Gildy lifted a hand to make certain the little figurines were still safely on her hat. The group set off at a gentle canter to make up for lost time, eager to reach their anticipated rest point.

"Do you wish to stay up there?" She asked the noble woman.

"Oh certainly, we are quite all right up here, and also this way I can watch your backs for you. Somehow I can see just fine in the dark."

"Really? Well that's useful." Sir Roland eyed the hat in front of him and leaned forward and to the side so it wouldn't be in his face. "So where did these magical figurines come from? They seem awfully content to be curse victims."

"Oh! That's right, so much has happened I haven't had chance to explain. They aren't curse victims!" She squirmed slightly at his moment of silence. "We found them at the market earlier on a whittler's blanket." She felt the knight stiffen slightly behind her.

"So not only did you dine and dance, but you went _shopping_ while I was looking for you?" He leaned back away from her, withdrawing his arm from her waist

"There is no need to be so sharp with her!" . She saw the Prince move his mount closer, "With how quickly I found out the rumors were just rumors you should have discovered the same just as easily!"

"Did you make any effort to send myself or the dragon word before you decided to make a cozy holiday of it?" She had never heard the Knight's voice sound so cold. "While looking for you the only mention I could find of anyone matching your descriptions were rumors about a witch cursing commoners—"

"I'm sorry Roland." Gildy interrupted quietly. The knight quieted abruptly and shifted slightly.

"I was worried you had upset someone with the cursing and that was why I couldn't find you, but you didn't spare a thought for the rest of us."

"There is no need for us to explain ourselves to you!" The prince stated haughtily, then added. "Gildy if you would prefer to ride with a more pleasant companion I would be happy to take you up."

She sighed and felt the Knight's arm quickly circle around her waist again. "Thank you Prince Jax, but no. His reaction is justified after all, and I don't think he means to hold on to it..?" She twisted and bumped her hate brim up to look at the knight over her shoulder, finding his face quite close to hers. He met her eyes, his tense features lit strangely by her hat and nodded. "You see?"

"Perhaps you could ride closer to the wizard and keep a closer eye on him, he has been suspiciously docile since we were attacked." The Knight said quietly to the young prince.

"Good idea, could you please, Prince Jax? There is always the possibility my healing failed in some way."

After a sharp look he pulled his mount away from them, his pixie rising out of his mass of curls to stick her tongue out at them before he dropped back to ride with the wizard. The young witch looked down at her hands, a conflict of thoughts and emotions robbing her of speech.

"Accepted." She jumped slightly at his low voice in her ear.

"Accepted?"

"Your apology." He had leaned forward again and his chest warded away the chill night air from her back.

"Oh, good. For Jax too?"

"Yours. The Prince offered no apology."

She sighed, "Well, I guess he _is _a Prince after all."

"Indeed." She heard the wry tone in his voice and decided to keep him talking rather than risk either of them brooding.

"Could you pass me my pack?" She grinned remembering she had a gift for him in it.

"Your pack? Now? Wouldn't it be best to wait until we rest?"

She sighed and nodded, "Yes you're right, but when we stop there is something I need to give you." She peered up at the night sky, looking for any indication of the time, but it was a moonless night and even the stars were partially obscurred by tree shaped shadows. A dark shadow moved in the sky. "Oh no…"

"What is it?"

"There's something coming in the sky."

They slowed their mounts to a halt and watched tensely.

"There you are! What is taking so long? You ride slower than I thought! I even tried to scrape together and light a campire for you but it kept going out! The first deer got a bit overcooked when I tried to light it for you but there is another one. We should hurry before something steals your dinner! Is anything wrong?" The dragon hovered above the tree line awkwardly since the path was still too narrow for his wingspan and the group relaxed in relief.

"We were delayed by a couple attacks but are otherwise fine. Is it far?" Gildy blinked at the volume of the knight's voice in her ear as he raised it to reach the dragon, leaning away slightly. "Sorry Gildy."

"Not at all, but the faster you move the better! Let's see…from here you'll go through a full S in the path, and then you'll see a break in the trees to the left, go through the break and you'll see it. I'll go back now to make sure your food will still be there."

"Let's just hope the forest doesn't decide to play with our path before we get there," Gildy mumbled as the dragon flew off.

"Good point, we'd better hurry." They soon reached the clearing, where a tiny flame struggled in a blacked area with an odd pile of burnt debris in front of a small proud dragon.

The knight dismounted and helped Gildy down, deciding the very brief burst of speed they had asked of the mounts wasn't likely to require a walk for them. After stretching they divided up tasks to make camp and cook the deer, Prince Jax having been delegated to the task he was most likely to be competent at, gathering wood for the campfire. After seeing to the horses, the young witch unpacked the few spices she had left for cooking and the meager remains of food they had to add to the deer while watching Roland quietly clean and spit the deer. Salvaging what she could around the area, she made the beginnings of a campfire and brightened the amount of light from her hat significantly, pleased she had changed her clothing to something more practical before bustling around in the ashes and dirt from the dragon's kind hearted attempt to help out.

She sat on a pile of leaves she had stripped from nearby branches and pulled her pack over. "Roland," she waited until he looked up from the deer carcass and spit he had just finished setting up from the other side of the campfire. "Could you come over here for a moment?" She had felt the pouch move and grinned eagerly as he joined her, handing him her the pack. "Open it, there's something in it for you."

He took the pack curiously and untied the flap. It wriggled violently and a carved wooden peregrine falcon scrambled awkwardly out of it. He dropped it in wary surprise and it flapped it wings to avoid falling.

"Hey! Thanks a lot! First I wake up stuffed in a bag, then I'm dropped!"

"What…?" The Knight looked at Gildy in confusion. "Another wooden creature?" He watched as the falcon ruffled it's many wooden feathers with a soft chattering sound and stretched its wings.

"This one is yours." She explained the encounter with the whittler, to his increasing surprise and excitement. "I had to guess which one was meant for you, I'm so relieved I chose the right one!"

"What's going on?" The dragon, which had dozed while they set up the camp, had moved closer curiously.

"Oh! Kind dragon I have a magical companion for you as well!" The dragon straightened and shuffled excitedly. "Treasure? A gift? For me? Where?"

"It should also be in that pack…" She frowned in dismay at the still pack. Roland picked it back up and peered inside, then glanced at the witch hesitantly. Biting her lip, she held out her hand for the pack, and reached in carefully to look for the largest of the figurines. The frown cleared and she pulled her hand out holding a carved princess tangled in the straps and pouch the Prince had purchased to create a way for the dragon to hold her. The figurine, however, had no more life to it than the features the whittler had carved her with. Firelight flickered over still wooden curves. Gildy stiffled her disappointment and untangled her from the straps slowly, trying to decide what to tell the dragon. The dragon moved closer eagerly to see. "Ohh, she's pretty!"

Suddenly the carving became pliant and Gildy adjusted her hold as the figurine stretched leisurely with a yawn, shielding her eyes from the light of the hat. "Hmmm?" She looked around her, standing when the witch set her on the ground, then, looking up with wide eyes at the excited dragon. So excited in fact that steam was coming from its nostrils and its talons were digging into the ground.

"She's for me? Really?" The dragon asked, restraining itself from reaching for the carving as a small flame puffed out while it spoke.

"Yes really, but I think in her case I ought to add some protective spells, considering she is made of wood and all."

"Didn't you already set the spell so the carvings would live and be undamaged as long as their true owner's lived?" Prince Jax set an impressive stack of kindling down near them, his pixie flying closer to greet the falcon.

She winced, "No, I know I told him they would live at least as long as their true owner, but I didn't give them any extra durability."

The prince looked at his pixie as she flew away from the steaming dragon at full speed. "Come to think of it," he said slowly, "If we're going to be travelling with an excited fire breathing dragon, fighting wizards and whatnot… extra protection for ours at least would probably be a really good idea."

"I'm afraid he's quite right, dear." The noble woman spoke up from the hat brim, "We should like to be around to help you for as long as possible, I have no doubt you will each find us useful."

"But...protective charms or spells? They're not exactly my specialty, what if something goes wrong? Maybe we should wait until we reach the king and ask for Morwen's help with that?."

Prince Jax looked at each of them, "Mind you, I don't know this Morwen but…is she the type to be offended if we don't have a carved companion to give to her or at least the king when we ask for her to give ours further protection?"

"Bringing the whittler to her attention and stirring her interest in him would be more desirable for the whittler and their majesties, wouldn't it?" Sir Roland looked at Gildy with a small smile, "By doing so she may well secure an even more profitable future for the poor whittler and his family, and Gildy isn't the one who made the carvings, she is the one who enchanted them."

The dragon looked at its wooden princess, "Oh I couldn't bear to cause such a treasure harm, perhaps until we reach the queen she might ride with one of you?"

"Well with the small menagerie the Knight and Witch have between them on their mount, " the Prince bowed to the carving with a flourish, a grin on his face, "I would be pleased to have her company—Ow!" He rubbed his head where his pixie had yanked at his curls.

"Great! Shall we go now? Have you all rested enough?"

The young witch laughed at the eager dragon, "I'm afraid we have only just gathered our firewood and started cooking, and it would be best to let the horses rest more as well."

With full bellies the camp was broken in the darkness until only the campfire remained while Gildy modified the spell again on the mounted wizard, lost in thought. The dragon circled eagerly above them, making the horses nervous.

"Oh dear…" the dragon muttered, landing carefully.

"What is it, friend?" The knight looked up, pausing in front of the campfire he was about to put out.

"The forest shifted on us, I don't know where we are or which way we need to go!"

"Why now? We've been travelling for hours, but _now_ it changes on us?" Prince Jax scowled in frustration. "We don't have time for this!"

Even the edges of their clearing were different in the flickering firelight of the campfire. How had they missed the shift? The pixie and falcon flew up to take a look and the dragon rustled its wings in affront. "Just because you're enchanted doesn't mean you can see better or recognize a place you've never seen! You're just magic carvings!" The dragon said, watching them sulkily in the dark sky.

"They are?" Gildy jumped and looked over her shoulder to see the little salamander peering into the sky from on top of the sputtering wizard's hat,"They are! Indeed! Their majesties, and Telemain will be delighted to see them!" The wizard shook his head to try and dislodge it.

"Suz!" Bits of flame escaped the excited dragon's mouth with the name and it covered it's mouth quickly with large claws "Sorry! We are so delighted to see you!"

"Yes, yes," the little salamander flipped then sat on its tail and took in the group, "Well then go ahead and put out your fire, the king has arranged to bring you straight to him. Oh I say! Did you find treasure along the way? Reward from a sphinx perhaps? I hope there are no creatures missing it…" The little salamander scurried leapt off the wizard's hat, just as he started to shake his head again, and scurried up a tree warily.

"Oh! Certainly not! We found it sitting in the middle of the path, and it is not exactly a treasure. It's more of a…pet." Gildy patted it and it shifted slightly despite the rope binding it to the horse."

"It is?" The salamander appeared on the witch's shoulder and peered at it more closely. "It is! It really is! What a creature! Well then, let us join their majesties."

The trees shifted slightly around them again, fooling the eye easily in the dark until the smooth royal path lay before them with the castle rising up behind it


	16. Ch 16 In Which are Stain and Reputation

Chapter 16

In Which are Stain and Reputations

Somehow it was late morning at the castle, not nightfall. Shaking her head at the new magical mystery, the companions gazed around at the castle and grounds. Since it was her first time there, the young witch was less impressed with details than its presence and the uncomfortable knowledge of the great ones who lived in or frequented it. What would Morwen think of her? What of the king and queen? Should she play down the wicked thing? She wiped sweaty palms on her skirts nervously and adjusted a fresh huge cheerful yellow bow around the wizard while he walked on his hands toward the entrance. For once he was silent In response to her actions and didn't even try to swat at her. She flicked the bow in slight disappointment and glanced back over her shoulder.

Really, there was no need for her to come further was there? She ought to just pass the human knight the wizard's staff and be on her way.

"They need your help, you know." The wooden woman on her brim said very quietly.

Gildelaine glanced at her companions and slowed her pace even further so she dropped behind them. She brought the little figurine down to sit on her shoulder under her hair.

"Surely along with Morwen and Telemain there are other witches and-and-people at their majesties' service for this sort of thing!" The young witch protested quietly. The figurine didn't respond, and with dismay Gildy found herself at the steps to the broad entrance of the castle with the guards at either side looking suspiciously at the oversized black witch's hat. She rushed inside to catch up to her companions.

Some task or meeting prevented them from being granted an immediate audience so various members of the party took the brief wait as an opportunity to refresh themselves. Prince Jax was combing his curls with the help—and hindrance—of his pixie, Sir Roland appeared to be trying to buff up a sword sheath and the belt's brass buckle with the wrapped staff tucked in the crook of his arm. How or where had it gotten that? The wizard had made his way to a book case and was looking at the shelves blankly. Was he having trouble reading titles upside down? Even these things weren't distracting enough to dispel her nervousness.

The young witch sidled over into a corner while pretending to admire the large room they had been shown to and turned her head a little toward her shoulder anxiously to whisper to her hidden companion. "Do you think I should take off my hat or something? What if they're upset about my curses?"

"You should be yourself, but respectful." The little woman answered. Gildy sighed and looked up with a start when the door opened, but it was just a middle aged maid carrying a bucket and a large scrub brush with scrubbed bristles.

"Oh dear…don't mind me, I was just sent in here for yonder stain you see. They'll be with you soon, someone heard the gargoyle say so." She nodded once as if to confirm her words and set the bucket of soapy water on the floor at the other end of a rug Gildy was standing on. The wizard, behind the maid, backed away abruptly from the bucket. There was a clear wet spot on the carpet at the maid's knees where the neat little rows of fabric indicated scrubbing but the stain was still dark and well defined. The maid tsk-tsked and dipped her brush into the bucket.

"What is it that made such a stain?"

"What's that?" the maid looked up from her vigorous scrubbing to look at the witch. "Oh, well, the master Telemain spilled something, maybe a dark red wine here." She frowned darkly, "When I say spill I mean pour. He said it was some sort of experiment." The woman snorted softly and muttered about respect for their majesties' possessions under her breath, scrubbing even harder at the carpet.

"Ahh!" The wizard cried out suddenly.

Everyone turned quickly and Prince Jax's pixie flew away from the wizard smugly. After stunned silence Prince Jax laughed."You didn't! Oh that is a kicker, Gildy!" His little pixie glared down at his head from her spot in his curls.

The pixie had untied the large yellow satin bow around the wizard's ankes so his robes pooled around his head. He had been nearly to the door. However, in a moment of conscience and perhaps a little something else Gildy had generously given the wizard cleaner garments and added a pattern of scrawny legs tied in various cheerful bows upside down scattered across the white fabric of his long johns. Sir Roland coughed to cover a laugh and the wizard's lip trembled as he squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, his face quite red. Gildy felt a twinge of conscience, the pattern was only meant to be her own secret inside joke, not become visible and further humiliate the wizard. She quickly adjusted the wizard's robes and retied the bow, with a soft muttered apology. The wizard stared narrowly at her.

From the Prince's curls the little pixie carving stuck her tongue out at the witch unnoticed. Gildy watched the maid put her all into the scrubbing nearby distractedly and considered. Suddenly the maid dropped the scrub brush in a fit of temper and slapped at the carpet stain then sat up a moment to massage her hands.

"Quite a stubborn stain isn't it? Did you try adding anything to the soap to help break it down?" Gildy asked.

The woman used her sleeve to push sweaty tendrils of hair off her forehead and grimly bent down to her task. "I assume so, Telemain himself said he mixed this batch of soap and he's not known to be mean spirited."

The door opened across the room and the occupants turned to see a cheerful Telemain enter. Confusion muddled his features as he stared at the odd bow and boots visible to him, upside down behind an armhair, then brightened further.

"Oh yes! The intended test subject!" He chuckled and entered the room to peer down at the maids progress after an approving grin at Gildy. "Hmm…the secondary amalgamation is inadequate, is it?"

The maid sat up to let him inspect the spot better and waited while he speculated silently, shifting his eyes at the bucket.

"Well! I believe I know just the thing! It just needs an augmentation of the principle element." He smiled encouragingly at the maid, and looked around the silent room for appreciation, then spread his hands slightly and addressed the room. "It just needs a little more wizard!"

There was a thump of something falling behind the armchair. The maid looked down at the bucket of soapy water in dismay mumbling about recycled dishwater.

"Now then, their majesties are ready to see you if you'll follow me? Oh, I'd be ecstatic to convey the inducement component for you." He reached out eagerly for the wrapped wizard's staff and hesitated a moment with it in his hands, then lead the confused party out of the room.

A few minutes after entering the young witch, knight, and prince left their majesties alone with the wizard. Only a breif introduction and explanation had been wanted from them before the wizard himself was interviewed. They would be summoned individually later and were to be at ease until then.. As if she wasn't tense enough, they had been advised of something that filled Gildy with dread. It would seem they had arrived on a day when their majesties had taken to hosting some sort of large social lunch, open to all well intentioned visiting and questing young people. Predictably the Knight and Prince showed immediate interest in further freshening up and joining the mob of princesses and like minded individuals.

Uncertain whether this was an improvement from a long royal interview, Gildy requested a basket of a light lunch from a servant and direction to the most private gardens she would be permitted to accesss. Leaving the prince and knight to their own devices, she headed toward the gardens briskly. Just as she reached them a servant boy rushed up with a basket of lunch to thrust on her with a smile and hurried bow before dashing off.

She sought out a quiet, hidden corner once she had reached the garden and sank down on a low retaining wall with a sigh. Alone at last. She distractedly started eating the contents of the basket, not even noticing what she ate. After so long being alone, the company had been nice but it was such a relief to be alone with her thoughts again for a bit. She felt the figurine, still on her shoulder, shift a bit. Almost alone, but somehow the figurine didn't seem intrusive. The little woman slid and hopped down the witch's arm to sit in her lap and look up at her knowingly.

"Afraid someone will recognize you?" Gildy just looked at the little carved figurine a moment before answering, admiring the skill of the whittler again in the dappled afternoon sunlight.

"Why should I be? Most of those whom I have cursed will be unlikely to join such an event. They will be occupied with their quests, or if they have already completed the terms be much happier with whatever they took to doing next in their lives."

"No, I do not mean to ask about those you may have cursed. This magical connection of your doing seems to have created an all knowing familiarity. An ideal companion perhaps? Or at least, confidant, and I'm certain you have not had such a trustworthy and well informed one to speak to. After all, I know everything about you that you do and perhaps I may even be able to offer advice?" She folded her little wooden hands in her lap and smiled gently up at Gildy. The young witch stared down at the carving for a moment and looked away with a rush of emotion as tension melted away. A tiny hand patted her leg.

"Now then, if someone should recognize you, do you fear a search for you will begin?"

Gildy nodded slowly, returning her eyes to the figure and started combing her fingers through her hair. "He must still be there since my parents are gone…unless…unless—" Gildy choked as her throat swelled with emotion.

"Unless your mother only disappeared, not died like your step father claimed that day to the court?"

"She didn't! She died with my baby sister! They just…the advisor was trying to make me stay! To keep me from looking for her! Stay with _him!_" She wrapped her arms around herself and sat back further into the shadows as she remembered the man and the wrongness of the man who had stolen her beloved father's appearance. She brushed crumbs from her lap with shaking hands and set the empty basket at her side.

"What if the man isn't so bad as he seemed? What if he changed? What if you are nee—"

"Stop!" Gildy threw her hands up over her ears. "Evil doesn't change! There is a difference between mistakes and evil!"

A tiny wooden hand patted her lightly and slowly, "It will work out eventually, no need to be so upset right now. You are afraid if you're recognized they will tell you something that will force you back sooner. There is nothing wrong with not being ready, you're right. You aren't ready."

"I'm happier here," the witch mumbled, wiping at her eyes impatiently with her palms, "I'm not weak! I'm just-I'm not strong enough—"

"Gildy?" With a start she realized there were approaching footsteps, and hurriedly she crammed a hand into her pocket to draw on the little wand just in time to neaten and improve her appearance further.

"Yes? Sir Roland?" She inquired, recognizing his voice as she lifted the little noblewoman back up to her hat brim.

The knight strolled around the corner and admired the quiet little portion of garden. "This is much better."

Gildy arched a brow at him, she felt relieved after her brief outburst, even cut off as it was. Thankfully she also had managed to regain her calm. "Why Sir Knight, wouldn't you rather be admiring the young princesses and damsels in distress? Trading tips and techniques with other knights?"

Sir Roland frowned and sat on the wall next to her, "Damsels? Hardly. I am looking for those who truly need help, if they needed help they wouldn't have the inclination or even opportunity to attend an afternoon lunch at the castle. No, from what I saw this is more of a way of gathering a lot of helpess wandering young nobles and getting them through a few more days. Why, many of them hadn't eaten for days." He shook his head in mild disgust, "They all left or were sent away from home without learning how to care for themselves on their travels first."

After their provisions had run out they were starting to starve, and too proud to ask for food or help. That lot would not have anything useful to share. A kitchen servant even said after the gathering the King has them give out a few days provision as a gift to all of them along with returnng their freshly laundered 'questing clothes'. Apparently they all get sent out with a set of formal attire and a set of questing clothes, so they all show up in the formal attire, after all it a royal event. Every week. It's like a hoard of hungry, immature guests has been forced upon him. There were a few who did seem able to take care of themselves, but that didn't stop them from taking advantage of the king's hospitality."

"It's their own fault if they didn't try to learn how to take care of themselves. Maybe that was why some of them were even forced to leave, because they wouldn't try to learn."

The knight shot a look at her, "Rather a harsh thing to say even from you I would have thought. Some of them were very young, far too young to be out questing on their own and could only have been forced out."

The young witch stood up abruptly and turned to look down at him, "Harsh? How hard is it to go and watch people who know what they are doing to learn? You don't have to ask or pay or steal. You can learn from _watching, _or often even just by trying until you get it right!"

"Is that so? What about acquiring clothes when your fine ones have become rags? Or shoes when yours are nothing more than a net of holes across the soles of your feet? Would it be easy to learn how to acquire even the materials for those things without money or help?" He sighed. "They are _royalty, _Gildy. They are raised with servants taking care of every need. It isn't only that they don't know how, many of them are taught they _should not_ do something below them like cook a meal or bathe with their own hands just as they _should not_ greet an ally with an obscenity or stab a friendly stranger. It certainly doesn't do much for their reputations."

"They have to learn to put aside their pride and work or find other ways to earn what they can't find or make for themselves." Gildy lifted her chin defiantly. "Who wants a ruler who doesn't understand working to achieve a goal rather than just having someone else do it for you? Even if the only work is a plan?"

"That's a valid point there…but still, it is distressing to see the large number of helpless nobles out there. There are so many! _Why_ are there so many here? Oh," The knight stood up, "It seems they might be ready for us."

The servant bowed and retrieved the lunch basket, then invited them to meet with their majesties. To her surprise, she and the knight were shown in alone. There was no sign of Prince Jax or the wizard. The King, Queen, and Morwen sat on the modestly raised dais and greet them with a smile. Gildy curtsied again and spotted a damp spot on the decorative polished stone floor. So there was at least a sign of the wizard then.

"We trust you have rested and eaten?" The queen smiled.

"Yes, thank you, your majesty."

"Well then, on to business." The King leaned forward slightly and looked at each of them a moment before continuing, "The wizard had a surprising willingness to share their plans with us."

Morwen's eyes shifted to the puddle and she smiled slightly, "Even, you might say, more than Telemain's involvement is inclined to provoke."

The king nodded in agreement, "Not only is their plan on a rather large scale, but it is taking place at least in part, in _our _kingdom. You have noted the number of young questing guests and royalty here for the luncheon today? Good. This is, in part, why we delayed continuing with our audience. The wizards have indeed taken it upon themselves to enact the Dancing Princesses scheme, but they have made something more of it. They are gathering those impressionable royals who are finding themselves at a loss and in no little frustration and fear in our enchanted forest, and luring them with the opportunity not only to form political alliances for their kingdoms, but to choose whom they wish to marry. Under the guise of the dancing princess spell, those who are chosen by conspirators are bespelled with compliance even more than those youths choosing them realize."

In exchange for giving a wizard an advising position in their court, possibly in disguise, the wizard helps to…ensure the chosen mate accepts the proposal and a story of rescue and heroism is devised to satisfy the parents." The queen shifted angrily, flicking a sleeve out of her way as her husband spoke.

"They have already some two dozen young royals at the least involved, and more ambitious wizards anxious to choose impressionable pawns, so well as we were able to determine," The queen said grimly, "and those foolish parents have assumed their children will take long to complete or satisfy the demands of their quests and form an alliance, deeming it not only safe but wisest to send out more than one child at a time. As a result, the wizards have an even greater opportunity to control the next generation of political power. They have the potential of choosing which children succeed first and on what terms."

Morwen spoke up, "After determining which nobles are willing and ambitious enough to persue the scheme without direct manipulation the wizards even go so far as to make the most profitable matches the most appealing with more spells. Perhaps by making it seem as though a certain princess from a mineral rich kingdom is very taken with the young ambitious prince, rather than a princess from a smaller and less profitable or strategic kingdom whom the prince may have shown interest in for her beauty or charm. Due to the scale of political manipulation, their majesties must avoid direct interference in this mess. No matter," She glanced wryly at the royal couple, "how much they may wish to do otherwise."

The king splayed large beringed hands and divided his attention between the two of them. "We therefore must choose carefully who to send to aid in correcting this situation and after some discussion have decided to request your assistance. Delivering the wizard to us safely and some mention of your skills from that same source has led us to believe you would be very helpful indeed. Both your skills as a Knight, Sir Roland; and your unique magic and approach, Gildelaine, are necessary. Beyond that, we need young people the wizards won't recognize as a danger and who are clearly young enough or possibly motivated enough." The king's eyes rested on Sir Roland. "Morwen and Telemain will join you later of course when the scheme must be faced down, what we ask of you is to become a part of their plot in their eyes so we might be better informed of how to proceed when Morwen and Telemain arrive. Certainly at that point your further assistance would be much appreciated, but entirely up to you."

Queen Cimorene sat back with and looked at them thoughtfully, "We thought perhaps you, Sir Roland, might pass as a Prince of a kingdom which has just discovered a silver mine—and we would arrange for rumors to precede your approach—and Gildelaine to be a princess from the adjoining kingdom which is well known for it's military strength strength or perhaps a strategic trade route location. Of course, some disguise would also be necessary, and Telemain is looking into two appropriate kingdoms for you to claim. We may have to pick a distant pair indeed in order to avoid choosing one of the kingdoms belonging to their current guests of course. Sir Roland would be in a position to protect Gildelaine, and Gildelaine could further protect herself with her magic."

Abruptly the door behind them opened and the witch and knight looked over their shoulders to see Telemain entering carrying a couple maps and eyes so full of excitement they nearly sparked. He strode briskly forward to join them and beamed at Gildy.

"In a few minutes we will dismiss you to make a decision. If you agree to participate Telemain will advise you as to your roles and homelands as well as further details of the plan thus far." The king nodded to Telemain, who appeared to be holding back something with effort, "You have something to add, Telemain?"

"It's immaculate! I found the immaculate concept for the implement to inaugerate the venture, postmelting!" He grinned at his wife, "Guess where Morwen? The laundry room! It functions perpetually due to the quantity of laundry here for a castle this size, and with the implement positioned right in the nucleus of activity and primary natatorium, which due to it's purpose would always be prepped, l…I have," He halted and took in the blank expressions around the room with a sigh, "I made a mirror which will activate and notify me with sound and visual just before he falls into the washing pool so we might see how long it takes him to return after each immediate melting! But here is the best part! Can you guess what it is?" He looked eagerly at each person for a few breaths, "Not only that, but water with more wizard in it seems to be more effective!"


End file.
